Star Wars Episode V: Trials of the Empire
by Naitch03
Summary: Dark times are approaching,and the Summers', Solo's, and Skywalker's all find themselves facing the trials of their inner demons. But can they defeat them in time to defeat the Empire? Or will Darth Vader succeed and bring Buffy to the Dark Side?
1. Chapter 1

**The Nature Boy Presents**

**A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...**

**Star Wars**

**Episode V**

**Trials of the Empire**

* * *

_It's been three years since the destruction of the Death Star over Yavin IV. Hunted by the Empire and it's agents, Darth Vader, former Jedi Master turned Sith Apprentice Nejaa Halcyon, and the Emperor's Hand Mara Jade, the Rebellion settled on the ice planet of Hoth. While they established their secret base, Luke Skywalker, Leia Naberrie and Joyce Solo, children of the Skywalker siblings, have begun their training in the Jedi arts._

_Meanwhile on Earth, the Jedi Council has stepped up their training of the Padawans, along with strengthening their ties to the Watchers Council, in preparation for their return across the barrier. Padawan Dawn Summers nears the end of her training and prepares to enter the Trials, while her boyfriend Zett Jukassa faces trials of his own._

_Anakin Skywalker, meanwhile, has taken Willow Rosenberg, once the Dark Lady Traya, as his apprentice in an effort to train her in the Jedi arts- skills Willow hopes to use to save her daughter, Mara Jade. But her resolve against the Dark Side will be tested with a reunion with her family and her placement with a new enemy._

_As the Rebel Alliance are relentlessly pursued by the Empire, the Skywalker children will face their own trials- for Luke, the knowledge of what his father did under the control of Darth Traya; for Leia, the loss of her one true love; and for Joyce, the Mandalorian battles the Dark Side and her own demons as she hunts down the man who murdered her father and stole her childhood- the man who took her as his own daughter, Boba Fett_

_And all the while, Darth Vader plots to finally bring a Skywalker over to the Dark Side, and sets his sights on an old enemy- Jedi Master Buffy Skywalker-Summers. Can Buffy resist the pull of the Dark Side going up against the one man who always managed to bring out her darkest emotions, even when he was a Jedi?_

**Disclaimer: Star Wars and its characters are owned by George Lucas and Lucas Films. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its characters are owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I own neither. **

* * *

**  
**

**Dramatis Personae**

**Buffy Skywalker; Jedi Master, Senior Slayer (female human)**

**Willow Rosenberg-Naberrie; Force-Sensitive Witch (female human)**

**Anakin Skywalker; Jedi Master (human male)**

**Padmé Skywalker (female human)**

**Obi-Wan Kenobi; Jedi Master (human male)**

**Aayla Secura; Jedi Master (female Twi'lek)**

**Bol Chatak; Jedi Master (male Zabrak)**

**Roan Shryne; Jedi Master (human male)**

**Ydra Kilwallen; Jedi Master (female Mirialan)**

**Teryl Sibwarra; Jedi Master (Female Kuat)**

**Zett Jukassa; Jedi Knight (human male)**

**Serra Keto; Jedi Knight (human female)**

**Olee Starstone; Jedi Padawan (female human)**

**Dawn Summers; Jedi Padawan (female human)**

**Luke Skywalker; Jedi Apprentice (male human)**

**Leia Naberrie; Jedi Apprentice (female human)**

**Han Solo; Captain, _Millennium Falcon_ (human male)**

**Chewbacca; co-pilot, _Millennium Falcon_ (male Wookie)**

**Joyce Solo; Mandalorian Jedi Apprentice (female human)**

**Boba Fett; Mandalorian Bounty Hunter (human male)**

**Qui-Gon Jin; Apparition (male human)**

**Darth Vader (Jorus C'baoth); Sith Lord (male human)**

**Nejaa Halcyon; Master Hand (human male)**

**Mara Jade; Emperor's Hand (female human)**

**Wedge Antilles; Rebel Pilot (male human)**

**Lord Nigel Ambrose-Bellairs; Head, Watcher's Council (male human)**

**Xander Harris; Wather's Council Represenative (male human)**

**Rupert Giles; Senior Watcher (male human)**

**Faith Lehane; Senior Slayer (female human)**

**Wesley Whyndam-Pryce; Watcher (male human)**

**Winefred Burkle; Council Tech Specialist (female human)**

**Spike; Council Operative (male vampire)**

**Angel; Council Operative (male vampire)**

**See-Threepio; Droid**

**Artoo-Deetoo; Droid**

* * *

It was a weary Joyce Solo that made her way through the ice caverns of he Rebel base on Hoth. Three hours of patrol around the system in the Prometheus was a lot, even for someone who had the enhanced stamina of both a Jedi and a Slayer. And three hours is a long time to think, and as usual her mind had wandered to the holo she had received from Talon Karrde and what it meant.

Boba Fett had killed her father.

Boba Fett, the one who had taken her under his wing. The one who had introduced her to the Mandalorian culture.

The one who had taken her as a daughter.

The one who she had to kill.

Vengeance was an ugly word and one that the Jedi frowned upon. A Jedi doesn't take vengeance, her mother had said. A Jedi strives for justice.

She sighed as she entered her private quarters. Wearily she pulled off her helmet, then the rest of her armor. Placing it net to her bed, she quickly shed the rest of her clothes in preparation fro a well-deserved shower. As she walked past her dresser, she stopped for a moment and looked to the small holoprojectors sitting there. After a moments hesitation she switched it on and the blue image flared to life, showing the now-familiar sight of her mother and father with Han and her. She was nestled safely in her father's arms with a small smile on her face.

"_Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum Jacen Solo,"_ she said quietly, looking sadly at the shimmering image of her father. So intent was she on the image that she didn't hear the door to her quarters open, or the footsteps approach her from behind. It wasn't until strong arms wrapped around her waist that she realized she wasn't alone.

"How was patrol?" the man asked as Joyce leaned lovingly back into the embrace. She titled her head back and kissed him softly.

"Three hours alone in a small, cramped space is too much, Wedge," she said. "I wish you could have flown second seat with me."

"I wanted to, but they needed me here, working on the speeders." He kissed her shoulder softly. "Plus, I'm not sure Han would approve."

Joyce snorted softly. "There's probably a lot about this he wouldn't approve, husband."

After Yavin IV, Joyce and Wedge became nearly inseparable, much to Han's chagrin. After nearly two years together the couple had finally realized how much they loved each other. On the night Wedge had proposed, Joyce had performed the Mandalorian ceremony that bound the two in marriage. Both had decided to keep it secret, lest her brother freak out. Of course, they both refused to think about how he'd react when they finally told him.

Or how her mother would react, for that matter.

"So, tell me what else is bothering you," Wedge said softly, taking notice in her stiffened shoulders. "Baby, I wish you would talk to me."

"There's nothing to say."

Wedge sighed. "It's this thing with Fett, isn't it? You've been hunting him for three years, Joyce!" he exclaimed as she stalked away from him. "This obsession of your can't be healthy!"

"He killed my father!" she exclaimed. "He deserves to die!"

"He deserves justice, Joyce." He moved back to her and gently took her by the shoulders. "Vengeance won't bring your father back. And I don't want to loose you."

"I can take care of a bounty hunter on my own, Wedge."

"That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it," he shot back. "You're a Jedi—"

"Half-Jedi."

"The point is, I've heard what happens to them when they let vengeance take over," he argued. "I don't want that to happen to you."

Joyce sighed. "It won't. I promise you, it won't. I just— " she was cut off by the sounds of arguing outside her door.

"_Han!"_

"_Yes, Your Highness?"_

"_I thought you had decided to stay."_

"_That bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind."_

"_But we still need you," she said._

"_We need?" he asked._

"_Yes."_

"_What about you need?" _

"_Me? I don't know what you mean."_

"_No, you probably don't."_

"_And what precisely am I supposed to know?" _

"_You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me."_

"_Well, yes, you've been a great help to us. You're a natural leader—"_

"_No, Your Worship. That's not it."_

"_You're imagining things."_

"_Am I? I think you were afraid I was going to leave you without a goodbye kiss?"_

"_I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee."_

"_I can arrange that. He could use a good kiss!"_

The couple looked at each other, then broke out laughing. "Those two just need to have sex and get it over with," Joyce finally managed. "My brother is an idiot."

"Stubborn, too," Wedge put in. "Kinda like his sister."

Joyce smiled at her husband. "Come on, I still need that shower," she said, sauntering away from him towards the 'fresher. "You can do my back."

Wedge watched as his very naked wife walked into the fresher and sighed. He knew she was deflecting his concerns, just as she always did. And it worried him that she would take off one night and not come back- or worse, come back like Vader. He comforted himself in the knowledge that he wouldn't allow her to slip that far and neither would her family.

"You coming, flyboy? Or am I doing this all alone tonight.?" Joyce's voice called out from the 'fresher. Smiling to himself, he started to remove his flight suite and head towards the fresher, stopping only long enough to turn off their com receivers.

* * *

**EARTH**

Dawn moved quietly through the ruined building, stepping carefully among the rubble. Though the surrounding seemed vaguely familiar, the young Padawan had no idea where she was, nor what she was supposed to be doing, and the feeling was leaving her a little put out with her Master and sister Buffy.

"'Trust me', she says. 'All part of your training', she says. 'Consider it a part of your trials', she says," she muttered to herself. "Why must all Jedi be such vague, Power-That-Be type beings? Just give me a straight answer, for the " She ducked underlove of god a fallen beam and finally spotted the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. She paused for a moment to bend down and pick up a broken length of wood before continuing down the hall. Buffy had insisted that she come in here unarmed, but with all of the Vampire activity around Leeds she wasn't about to risk it, no matter how well protected Buffy said Tara had made this place. As she neared the end of the tunnel she let out a sigh of relief, even as she felt the anticipation build. She knew whatever test Buffy had set up would be at the end of the tunnel- now she just had to pass it.

"No problem," she said to herself. "Buffy can't throw anything at me that I can't pa—" Her breath caught as she finally saw her surroundings, a familiar sight that had haunted many a nightmare over the past year. She was in the same burned out opera house that her team had been decimated in, the same theater that her best friend had been savagely murdered by the vampire Tomlisov

And standing on the ruined stage across from Dawn was the bloodied form of Vi.

"Hello, killer," she spat at the speechless Padawan.

* * *

Outside the theater, Buffy sat in silence, reaching out with her senses to try and determine how her apprentice was doing. She gritted her teeth when she felt her sister's emotions suddenly reach a fever pitch.

"Hello, cutie," a voice said from the shadows behind the Jedi. Buffy smiled slightly.

"Evening, Spike. Fancy running into you here."

"Yeah, well, the local pub was having a Clash marathon. Thought I'd check it out," the blonde vampire replied, sitting down next to Buffy. "What's going on in there?"

"I'm testing Dawn."

"By making her come back here?" Spike shook his head. "Not your best idea, Buffy."

"It's almost time for her to face her Trials, Spike."

"So?"

Buffy sighed. "When a Jedi faces their Trials, it's more than just a test of strength or skill in the Force," Buffy explained. "One of the biggest parts of the Trials is the Jedi's ability to withstand the temptation of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan nearly gave in on Naboo, but pulled himself together and helped me defeat Maul. I've been tempted several times, but always managed to resist. And " She sighed. "Well,Anakin he's one of the very lucky few to come back from being immersed in it, albeit against his will."

"So what's that got to do with the Nibblet?"

"Well, Dawn's also tasted the Dark Side- in this very building, nonetheless. And the events that happened here have haunted her, despite how far she's come. She needs to face it, come to terms with it, and put it behind her if she has any hope of becoming a full Jedi."

"So, what? You brought her back here for closure?" Spike asked. Buffy tilted her head, then nodded.

"In a way. This place is ripe with the Dark Side. Tonight, Dawn will face it." She sighed. "I just hope she's strong enough."

* * *

"What are you?" Dawn demanded, staring at horror at the bloody apparition in front of her. The ghoul's face took on a shocked expression.

"You mean, you don't recognize me? Me, your supposed best friend? Your Slayer? You remember, the Slayer you got killed?"

"You are NOT Vi! Vi's dead!"

"Yeah, you saw to that," Vi spat. "My friend, my Watcher- who couldn't do her freaking job! Too busy making googly eye's at the Jedi to do you job and watch my back!"

"That wasn't what happened!" Dawn shot back. "We made mistakes! We all made mistakes!"

"Oh, sure! Blame it on me, the one who got a sword through her heart!" Vi scoffed. "Face it, D, you just weren't very good at your job. Hell, if you hadn't had so many connections, you never would have been a Watcher."

"Shut up," Dawn growled, any pretense of composure finally fading away.

"You were a terrible Watcher. If you'd been any good, don't you think you'd have gotten your sister back before she hit menopause?"

"Shut up!"

"If you'd been any good, I'd still be there. Face it, Dawn, Tomlisov may have stabbed me, but you were the one to kill me. Just like you'll kill your next Slayer- or Jedi, whichever comes "first

"Shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP!" Dawn shouted, finally snapping and calling on the Force to rip up the remains of the stage and whip it at the form of her former friend that disappeared. With a scream born of rage and pain Dawn let loose, the whirlwind of energy that she had gathered around herself ripping at the interior of the old opera house.

* * *

Outside the building, the Slayer and the Vampire turned towards the building as several explosions seemed to rock the building, sending debris flying everywhere. Spike instinctively dropped to the ground, but Buffy rose and stood her ground, using the Force to shield her from the debris. As things settled down Spike picked up his head and stared at the remains of the opera house.

"What in the bloody hell was that?!" he exclaimed, climbing to his feet and dusting his black leather coat off. "Was that a part of your test?"

"Not exactly." Buffy sighed. "That was Dawn."

Spike looked at the Slayer closely. "And I take it from your doom and gloom expression that she didn't pass?" Buffy shook her head.

"No, she didn't." She sighed again. "Something's coming, Spike. Something big. And Dawn NEEDS to be ready. We all need to be ready." She looked on as Dawn made her way out of the rubble towards them. She was a mess, her black shirt and pants were torn and covered with dust and blood, her short hair almost white from the collapsed plaster. But what worried Buffy the most was the look in her sisters eyes, a look she hadn't often seen since she had first came back from the disastrous patrol. It was a look of horror tinged with defeat, and maybe just a bit of fear. And Buffy knew that Dawn had not found the closure she was hoping she would; instead, this exercise had merely reopened old wounds that had never truly healed.

"Are you okay, Lil' Bit?" Spike asked, moving to put an arm around Dawn. The Padawan shrugged him off and, without even a glance towards Buffy, moved past them towards the car. Spike shook his head.

"Zett's going to have a handful tonight, that's for sure," he remarked. "Remind me to give him a heads up when we get back so he doesn't take anything she does personally."

Buffy looked on as her sister stiffly climbed into their car and closed the door, never once looking in her direction. She had no doubts that Dawn would be avoiding her for the next few days or at least try to. But Buffy knew, deep down, that something was coming. And that in the next few weeks, all of them would be facing trials of some kind or another.

She only hoped they were strong enough to pass them.

* * *

**TBC**

**A slightly revised version of the first chapter- now including the Dramatis Personae which I initially forgot. **

Here we go again! And so it begins- Episode V. As I said before, this will be taking a much different route than the movie. I will be centering more on Joyce and Willow and there training, along with some of Buffy training Leia. Luke on Dagobah will probably only get one chapter, if that, as everybody already knows what happens there (As you might have guessed, Dawn in the theater was meant to echo Luke in the cave). Also, I've been revising this Episode in my head, and I've determined that Spike, Angel and his crew will play a larger role near the end of this story.

This is going to take some time, folks. Between work, annoying illness, work, holidays, fixing the car and work, I'm not going to churn out a chapter a week anymore. I have three stories going now, and I'll be devoting equal time to all of them. But bear with me- like Episode III before it, this one is my baby and I will get it done.

Next chapter- Joyce finds out Luke is missing and Han has gone of to find him; Willow starts training at her and Buffy's old home on Naboo; Buffy arrives with a message for her daughter- oh and the Empire shows up.


	2. Chapter 2: Flight from Hoth

**Disclaimer:** I own only the OC's. Everything else belongs to Joss and George.

**A/N: **Thanks as always to my wonderful editors Fallenstar 2 and Winterd. Editors sounds so much better than Betas, dont' you think?

Also, don't expect anything else until after the new year. I need a vacation people!

**Recommended Reading:** New section! Here are two books that I'd recommend you sink your teeth into over the holidays: Doppelganger and Warrior And Witch by Marie Brennan. Great fantasy novels mixing one part Buffy the Vampire Slayer with two parts Lord of the Rings. Give them a try- you won't be disappointed.

**Episode 5 Chapter 2**

**Flight from Hoth**

* * *

**EARTH**

* * *

Zett looked up as a quiet and distraught Dawn made her way back into the Council buildings. Sensing her pain, he shot up from the chair he had occupied in the lobby and headed towards his love.

"Dawn! What's-" he stopped short as she stormed right past him and towards the dorms. Concerned he turned to follow, but was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder. He looked over his shoulder to see Buffy standing there with a grave look on her face. "Master, what—"

"Come with me, Zett."

"But Dawn—"

"—is a Jedi. As are you," Buffy retorted harshly. Zett blanched and unconsciously straightened. Buffy sighed and her voice softened. "You'll have a chance to comfort her later. For now, I need you to meet with me and the rest of the Council."

* * *

It was thirty minutes later when a shell-shocked Zett made his way into the private quarters he shared with Dawn. He found her sitting by the small fireplace, staring alternately into the flames and the photo in her hands. As he moved closer, he finally recognized the picture - himself, Dawn, Vi, Rona, Molly and Bella standing down by the lake in happier times. He noted with sadness that the picture was taken mere days before Vi's death as he moved behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Buffy told me what happened tonight. That she took you back to the theater," he said quietly.

"Did she tell you what I did?"

"She said you lost control. Dawn," He moved around the chair to kneel in front of her. "That theater is steeped in the Dark Side. It's not surprising that you tapped into that!"

"I failed her," Dawn whispered, so quietly that it took Zett a moment to understand what she said.

"What?"

"I failed her, Zett," Dawn said, tears running down her cheek. "Vi was my Slayer, my responsibility, and I failed her. I led us into that hell and she didn't walk out. It's my fault that she's dead…"

"No, Dawn. It's not your fault. Look at me," he reached up and gently turned her head so that she was looking at him. "We all made mistakes that night. All of us - including Vi. We were younger, more arrogant, more sure that nothing could hurt us - you remember how it was, Dawn! How many Slayers have died since you incorporated Jedi into the teams?"

Dawn sighed. "Only about six."

"Exactly! And our team hadn't suffered any significant injuries, nothing life-threatening - we felt invincible! And when you feel invincible-"

"Is when accidents happen, I know Zett," Dawn replied wearily. "Still, she was my best friend - if I had only tried harder, been faster…"

"We can spend our whole lives on 'what ifs', Dawn. But nothing will bring our loved ones back. The only thing we can do, the ONLY thing, is accept what has happened and move on and believe that when we leave this life well see our friends in the next one."

"Do you think she blames me?" she asked in a small voice. Zett sighed and stood, pulling Dawn up with him and embracing her.

"No, I don't," he replied. "Vi was a Slayer and she knew the risks. Wherever she is, I know she doesn't blame you for what happened. Force, she's probably looking down at you right now, wanting to smack you for even thinking that!" Dawn let out a watery chuckle and Zett relaxed his embrace a bit. "Come on, Dawn. Let's get some dinner and we can talk about your Trials. What'd you say?"

Dawn looked lovingly into her boyfriends eyes and smiled. "I say I love you. And yes, dinner sounds great."

"Great," Zett said, giving her a small peck on the lips. "You're buying."

"Jerk."

* * *

**HOTH **

An incessant pounding woke Joyce from her restless sleep. Groggily she looked at the chrono by her bead and saw that it was only 0100 hours. Groaning she climbed out of bed, shivering in the cold room as she threw on a heavy robe and her boots and stalked to the door. She slapped the controls at the side and the door slid open, revealing a distraught looking Leia standing behind it.

"Okay, so what did my idiot brother do now?" she asked after a moment.

"Luke never came back after his patrol and Han went out to look for him."

Joyce groaned. "_Aiya_! Fine, I'll fire up _Prometheus _and start doing sweeps…"

"You can't."

Joyce looked at her cousin through narrowed eyes. "Why not?"

"Firstly, because your ships engines would freeze after a few minutes," Leia explained. "We're having enough trouble adapting the speeders to the cold."

"_Prometheus_ could handle it," Joyce argued.

"And secondly, the shield doors are closed." At Joyce's look of indignation, Leia pressed on. "I had to close them, Joyce. If I didn't, we all would have frozen to death! We would have lost the base."

"To hell with the base, that's my brother out there!"

"Damnit, my brother is out there, too!" Leia shouted back. The two women stood in an awkward silence for a few moments. Finally Joyce reached out and placed her hand on Leia's arm.

"I'm sorry, Leia I know this can't be easy for you," she sighed. "I don't have a lot of family left, so I worry."

"I understand," Leia replied. "I'm going to the command center to wait for news. Why don't you join me?"

"Sure. Just let me get some clothes on." She moved back into her room as Leia shook her head.

"How can you sleep in an ICE CAVE in the nude?"

Joyce smirked as she reached for the door control. "I have my ways," she said as she closed the doors.

* * *

It was barely 0600 hours in the morning when Wedge, who had taken over prepping the snow speeders, declared them ready to fly. Despite the still below-zero weather, Leia decided to take the risk and opened the blast doors, allowing the squad of speeders out. Wedge took point, pushing his small ship to the limits trying to find his friends.

_My brother-in-law_, he reminded himself. In reality, it was more like his brothers-in-law; and that was something he wouldn't trade for anything. He had told the squad when they lifted off that he refused to leave them lost out in the wintry world - they would either bring them back to recover or bring back their bodies to give a proper burial.

A beeping noise brought him out of his grim thoughts and he checked his scanners. There was something up ahead, only about three clicks away…

'_Good morning!'_ a voice sounded over the com, '_Nice of you to show up!'_ Wedge smiled a he spotted the camp from the air. He clicked on his mike and opened a channel back to the control center.

"Control, this is Rogue Two. I've found them. Repeat, I've found them!" Wedge banked around for a landing by the frigid camp as Han waved from the frozen tundra below.

* * *

The next few hours were a flurry of activity as Han and Luke were flown back to Echo Base. Han was in good shape despite the night in the sub-zero temperatures. Luke was another story - on top of a case of hypothermia, his face was lacerated, he had six fractured rib and a plethora of bruises that marred his body. As soon as he was brought into the base, he was transferred straight into a bacta tank, where he remained immersed for several hours.

By the time Buffy arrived at the base the next day, Luke had only been out of the tank for a few hours and was resting comfortably in a medbay bed, surrounded by his friends. She entered the medbay quietly, observing her children as they bantered with each other.

"That's two you owe me, junior," Han was saying to Luke and then he turned and gave the princess a wide, devilish grin. "Well, your Worship," he said mockingly, "it looks like you arranged to keep me close by for a while longer."

"I had nothing to do with it," Leia said hotly, annoyed at Han's vanity. "General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for any ships to leave the system until the generators are operational."

"That makes a good story. But I think you just can't bear to let me out of your sight."

"I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brains," she retorted, causing Chewbacca to let out a small Wookie laugh. Joyce finally noticed her mother and sidled up next to her.

"About time you showed up," she said quietly. Buffy shrugged apologetically.

"Sorry I missed the fun. I was preparing Dawn for her Trials." She frowned at the slightly disgusted look that passed over her daughter's face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Laugh it up, fuzz ball," Han was saying good-naturedly. "You didn't see us alone in the south passage. She expressed her true feeling for me," Han continued, delighting in the rosy flush that appeared on the princess's cheeks.

Joyce smirked at Leia's outraged expression and the smirk widened into a grin as Han moved farther away from the irate princess.

"Why, you low-down, stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf-herder..." she sputtered in fury.

Han looked insulted. "Who's scruffy-looking?"

"You are, fly-boy." Wedge said, leaning against the wall. "We would have told you sooner, but we didn't want to upset you."

Luke nodded. "He's right."

Han ignored the jibes as he moved to stand next to Luke. "I must have hit pretty close to the mark to get her all riled up like that, kid," he said, looking at Leia. Luke grinned.

"Yeah, pretty close," he said playfully. Leia's eyes narrowed at the two.

"Well I guess you don't understand everything about women then, do you?" she said, before turning, grabbing Wedge by the face and pulling him into a long, passionate kiss. After a moment she backed off. "Thank you or bringing him back, Captain," she said, then turned and left the room, oblivious to the stares from everybody in the room.

Wedge stood there for a few moments, stunned, before his wife's glare brought him back to reality. Flushing a deep crimson he muttered his excuses and left the bay, desperately trying to avoid the death-glare Joyce was sending his way.

"Well, that was fun," Buffy said, speaking up at last. She moved and gave her near-son a long hug. "I'm glad you're alright, Han," she said and then looked to Luke. "Both of you. Your parents send their love, Luke. Anakin is a bit busy right now, but Padmé said that she'd see you when you got to where you were going."

"Going?" Han asked confusedly. "Where's Luke going?"

"Dagobah," he replied, staring intently at his Aunt. "But how did you…"

"Force vision, same as you," she explained. "Qui-Gon was one of the first to discover how to maintain his consciousness in the Force, and his resurrection and second death helped him to refine his talent."

"Meaning he visited you, too," Luke surmised. Buffy nodded.

"He did indeed. Gave me some news," she turned to Joyce. "I know I haven't had much time to devote to your training…"

"Yeah, you've been busy with the wonder twin," Joyce growled. "How is Twiggy, anyway?"

"Be nice, Joyce. She's your Aunt."

"No, she's my clone," she ground out. "Anything above that is incidental."

Buffy sighed. She had noticed the growing resentment between her sister and daughter - it was hardly one-sided, with Dawn being just as vocal against Joyce as Joyce was against Dawn. Buffy could only guess it was a result of their numerous physical similarities, as both Dawn and Joyce were 'made' from Buffy, in a sense.

Xander just chalked it up to the same matter not being able to occupy the same point in space and time.

"This is no time for your childish rivalries," Buffy scolded sternly. "Truthfully, there are times when I felt that I didn't do as good a job training Dawn as another Master would have, simply because she is my sister. That's why I haven't been training you as much and that's why I've asked another Master to finish your training." She handed Joyce a small data chip. "Take _Prometheus _to Naboo. There is a small cottage near the Lake Country that a friend and I shared ownership in - it's the perfect place to train without distraction. The coordinates are on the chip."

"What about the Rebellion?" Joyce asked, overwhelmed. "I have responsibilities here, Mother! I can't just leave—"

"Isn't that what you and Han were going to do?" Buffy replied, causing the two siblings to shift uncomfortably. She reached out and put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I know this is a lot to ask of you, honey. And I know that I'll be asking more of you than I ever had before. But things are rapidly coming to a head, and soon you are going to be tested. You need to be ready - I need you to be ready. Please?"

Joyce looked to her brother, than turned back to her mother and sighed. "Alright, fine. I'll go." She drew herself up. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get my things together." With a squeeze to Luke's shoulder and a peck on her brother's cheek, Joyce turned and left.

"I need to go, too. Got to get the Falcon ready to take off." He looked to Luke. "Take it easy, Kid. Come on, Chewie."

Han and Chewie left the medbay. Buffy stared after them for a moment and then turned to her nephew. "So, does he know that Joyce and Wedge are married? For that matter, does Leia know?"

Luke chuckled. "At this point, I think everybody knows except Han and everybody knows that everybody knows except Joyce and Wedge." He looked at his Aunt curiously. "I doubt you crossed over just to give us our marching orders. What gives?"

Buffy sighed. "Right about now, the Alliance will be detecting the Imperial Fleet entering the system. Vader's coming for you all. This base will evacuate and everyone will scatter."

"Do you get your visions in Technicolor or something?"

Buffy laughed lightly. "I see flashes of what's going to happen. I saw an attack, I saw ships lifting off and I saw Leia on the Falcon. I'll be traveling with her to complete her training - next to Joyce she's had the least amount so far. I'll be seeing to that." An alarm sounded through the base and Luke jumped up from the bed and started searching for his clothes. "Luke," Buffy said, drawing the young Jedi's attention, "Do what Qui-Gon said. Go to Dagobah - Yoda will train you well. And whatever you do, do NOT underestimate him." She smiled slightly. "He's stronger than he looks."

Luke nodded. "And Mother will be there?"

"She'll visit. She promised she would. Anakin wants to, but he's a bit busy with his new apprentice - they're on Naboo right now."

Luke raised an eyebrow as he pulled on his flight suite. "Does Joyce know this?"

Buffy's silence told Luke everything.

* * *

Pilots scrambled throughout the hangar deck as alarms blared throughout the base. A distant rumbling could be heard as Imperial AT-AT walkers were landed on the planet's surface beyond the energy shield; soon the frantic crews could feel the ground as the massive troop carriers started to lumber towards their target. Wedge rushed into the hangar towards his waiting snow speeder, calling out assignments to the other Rogue pilots. He glanced towards the rear of the hanger where Han and Chewie were frantically trying to put the broken down Falcon back together. Near it he spied Joyce loading up her old ARC-130. Frowning, he changed direction and ran up to his wife.

"I thought you weren't leaving with him," he stated in a somewhat hurt tone. Joyce sighed as she finished loading her supplies and then turned to face him.

"I'm not. But I am leaving." She dropped her voice as she moved closer to Wedge. "Mother wants me to continue my Jedi training. She's sending me to Naboo to learn from some Master." She looked at him wistfully. "I don't really want to go, but it's important to her…"

Wedge smiled and kissed her softly on the top of her head. "I understand. Just make sure you come back to me."

"Always," she replied, giving him a quick kiss on the lips before turning back to her ship.

* * *

The battle was as short as it was vicious.

The snow speeders proved no match for the armored AT-ATs, who managed to down nearly half of them before Luke finally managed to destroy one. Nonetheless the transports managed to destroy the bases' shield generators and Imperial troops soon were flooding the base.

Luckily the Rebels had almost completely abandoned the base; their transports had already taken off, being protected by a pair of fighters and fire form the ground-based Ion cannon. By the time the Storm Troopers arrived, only a few ships remained, nestled into a hidden landing field on the south ridge of the base, where both Luke and Wedge made their way to their waiting X-Wings. The two took off, following the rest of the remaining fleet into orbit before they parted ways as Luke set course to the Dagobah system. Joyce had already fled the base in the Prometheus, activating the cloaking generator and slipping past the entire Imperial Navy - buzzing several ships in the process before finally entering hyperspace towards Naboo. Han, Leia, Chewie, Buffy and Threepio were the last to leave, flying the crippled Millennium Falcon out of the hanger bay, vainly trying to avoid being captured by the Empire.

And on the planet of Naboo, in the cabin named Serenity, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi sat and chatted, while Anakin's apprentice, Willow Rosenberg-Naberrie, meditated outside.

**TBC**

* * *

Next chapter: Buffy has a blast from the past as Han takes a jaunt through an asteroid field; Joyce gets a rude awakening as she learns she will be training next to her most hated enemy and Luke learns that size matters not.


	3. Chapter 3: Great Expectations

**Episode 5 Chapter 3**

**Great Expectations**

* * *

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

**A/N: My thanks to my editors Fallenstar2 and Winterd, for without their help none of this would be possible. WEll, it would be possible, just not as good.**

**Further updates are rather sketchy, as I am preparing to move out of the old parent's house and into a place of my own. I also want to write a few chapters so I can start regular updates once again.  
**

* * *

Once upon a time Naboo was a small, relatively unimportant world. Their ships, while aesthetically pleasing, were consistently outperformed by the ships of Corellia or Kuat. Their art, while beautiful, was nothing that wasn't found on hundreds of other worlds in the galaxy. They had no real exports and very little trade altogether and existed on importing most of its goods - a fact that the Trade Federation tried to use to its advantage nearly forty years ago when it blockaded the planet.

Of course what they didn't realize was that Naboo had two great natural resources - the young Queen Amidala and the elderly Senator Palpatine - two people who would be a bane of their existence for the next few decades

After the failed blockade and even during the Clone Wars, Naboo remained a peaceful planet that seemed far removed from the continuing turmoil. When the Old Republic fell and the Empire rose though, Naboo's status rose as well. While Palpatine held no love for anyone or anything, he always felt a connection to his homeworld. Naboo became a favored retreat for the new Emperor and his favored few. The lake country, once a place of tranquility, soon filled with roving Storm Troopers and fat officers who used the palatial homes for parties and scenes of utter debauchery. The economy flourished with the import of all of the credits the officers and soldiers brought; artisans worked twice as had to fill the demands and soon found their pockets flush. After a brief insurgency the local government was brought in line and soon everyone was singing the praises of the Empire and their Emperor, Palpatine. Nobody lamented the fact that they now lived under a puppet government. Nobody shed a tear as the Gungans, who only a few years ago had been valued and beloved members of their society, were shunned, enslaved and shipped off world to work as slaves. Naboo, once a peaceful and tolerant world, had become yet another crown jewel of the Empire.

Except in one small corner of the planet, in a slightly mountainous area of the Lake Country, in a small estate named Serenity, where two Jedi Masters prepared to teach their pupils in the hopes of overthrowing the corrupt galactic government.

It began quietly enough. Three people suddenly burst forth into existence in a flash of purple and white light at Serenity and began preparing the estate for the days to come.

The fourth arrived only days later.

* * *

The stillness of space was broken by the sudden arrival of a battered old ARC-130 fighter, which just as suddenly vanished under its cloaking field. The time between hyperspace reversion and cloaking was so small that Naboo's automated Air traffic control system catalogued the arrival as a rouge gravimetric disturbance and promptly filed away the information in its vast database where it would more than likely never see the light of day again. Likewise, the atmospheric disturbance caused by Prometheus' entry into the atmosphere was cataloged as a small meteorite entering the atmosphere and, once it was clear that its trajectory would take it away from any populated area; that too was filed away. The Prometheus flew cloaked all the way to its destination, decloaking only once it had set down in Serenity's small hanger. The cockpit canopy rose and the lone passenger got out.

Joyce Solo had arrived on Naboo.

* * *

"_Tai-kong suo-yo duh shing-chiou sai-jin wuh duh pee-goo," _Buffy muttered as she stared at the field of asteroids before her. "What is it with men and flying through asteroid fields?"

Buffy stood behind Leia, who herself was seated behind Han on the bridge of the Millennium Falcon. Just as she had seen in her vision, she and Leia, along with Chewie, Han and Threepio, had been forced to flee Hoth on her old ship.

Of course, her vision had failed to tell her that the hyperdrive was non-functional. Stupid vision.

"Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!" Threepio stated in a panic.

"Never tell me the odds!" Han shot back, deftly maneuvering the sleek ship between the asteroids. The Falcon shuddered as TIE Fighter blasts struck a glancing blow on the rear shields. Or perhaps an asteroid impacted the ship. Buffy couldn't tell anymore.

"We stay out here any longer and we're going to get pulverized!" Leia exclaimed at another near miss.

"I won't argue with that," Han mumbled as he looked around the field. "I'm going to move us closer to one of the big one," he announced suddenly, much to Threepio's dismay. "Yeah, that looks like a good one."

"Han, what in the wide, wide world of sports do you think you're doing?" Buffy exclaimed as Han dropped to the deck, still being pursued by two TIE. He maneuvered the ship, deftly slipping between a narrow canyon by flipping the Falcon on its side. The flat ship passed through without a scratch; its pursuers erupted into twin balls of plasma. Han, ignoring all around (and beside him), brought the ship up and into a loop and then finally down into a large crater on the surface of the asteroid.

"Sneaky," Buffy commented as the forward floods came on, illuminating the large, seemingly endless cavern. "A nice, quiet place to put down for repairs. Your father would be proud."

Han smiled slightly at that; then rose quickly from his chair. "All right, I bought us a little time. Let's get this ship fixed so we can meet back up with the fleet."

* * *

"Hello, there."

Joyce gave a slight bow to the elder Jedi Master. "Master Kenobi. Why am I not surprised to find you here to hold my leash?"

Obi-Wan scowled slightly. "You are as snarky as your mother, Joyce. We'll have to work on that."

"What, Jedi can't be snarky? However did mom survive?"

"Your mother is the exception to the rule," Obi-Wan replied. "Now, I want to lay some ground rules out for you. This is sacred ground, Joyce. So there will be NO VIOLENCE, no matter what kind of personal animosities you may find here. I have come to train you in the ways of the Jedi. This will be hard, Joyce - very hard, especially for you. You will need to learn how to control your anger and let go of your hate, lest you fall to the Dark Side."

"I'm not angry, Master," Joyce replied evenly. "I'm a happy shiny person. See my smile?"

"You're wearing a helmet."

"Who else is here, Master?" Joyce's voice was cold. "I couldn't help but notice the theme of your little pep talk. Control my anger? Let go of my hate?" She removed her helmet and let it drop to the ground, then moved to stand nose to nose with Kenobi. "She's here, isn't she? The Sith bitch?"

"We'll also have to watch that temper of yours." Obi-Wan remarked dryly. "Willow is Anakin's apprentice and is here at both his and Buffy's requ—" Obi-Wan was cut off by a sudden shove from Joyce that sent him sprawling back out into the open field between the hanger and the house. As he lay dazed on the ground, Joyce stalked past. Ignoring his pleas to stop, Joyce marched up the stairs and into the villa proper-

When suddenly the air around her seemed to congeal and solidify around her. Joyce was suddenly unable to move and found herself face to face with the one person in the galaxy she hated more than Boba Fett.

"Hello, Joyce," Willow said, calmly sipping a class of tea from her seat facing the door. "Let's talk."

* * *

Luke sighed as he plugged Artoo into the portable generator he had managed to salvage from his X-Wing. After Qui-Gon's mysterious message and the short but fierce battle on Hoth, Luke had flown across the galaxy with Artoo in his X-Wing to the swamp planet of Dagobah to complete his training under the tutelage of Master Yoda.

Of course, Qui-Gon had failed to mention that there really wasn't a way to bring his X-Wing in for a safe landing, nor had he described what Yoda looked like. So now his ship lay sinking in the swamp and he sat with Artoo, eating emergency rations and wondering how he was going to find the reclusive Jedi Master.

"Why are Jedi always so vague, Artoo?" he wondered aloud. "All he said was 'go to Dagobah'. He could have given me a description, an address, a com frequency - but did he? No. Because he's a Jedi and apparently Jedi have to be so vague..."

"You will find, in our nature it is," an aged voice said from behind Luke. Startled, the young man swung around and drew his blaster. He looked at the intruder - he was small, only a bit over three feet, green, with long, pointed ears and a nearly bald head. He leaned on a small walking stick and was apparently unarmed, though Luke had learned a long time ago that looks could be deceiving. Just look at his Aunt Buffy.

"Away with your weapon, I mean you no harm. Tell me, why are you here?" the small alien asked.

"I'm—" Luke trailed of, suddenly remembering his Aunt's advice. _'Do not underestimate him - he's stronger than he looks.'_ Realization hit and he smiled. "Master Yoda, I presume?"

Yoda nodded in satisfaction. "Very good, young Skywalker. Been anticipating your arrival for some time, I have. Much to teach you, I have."

"I look forward to learning from you, Master," Luke replied. He hesitated for a moment and then asked the question that had been burning in his mind. "Is my mother here?"

"Not yet, Luke," Yoda replied. "In time, she will come. But for now, let us eat and prepare for the days ahead." Yoda turned around and slowly limped off into the forest.

Luke sighed once more and rose. "You stay here for now, Artoo," he told the small droid. "Finish recharging; then come find us." He grabbed his equipment belt and fastened it around his waist, slipped the blaster back into the holster, then clipped the lightsaber to his belt. "I have a feeling we won't be that far away," he said quietly as he made to follow the small alien. Jedi.

* * *

The former Jedi Master known as Jorus C'baoth, now known universally as Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, stood on the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer Executor as it orbited the planet Hoth. He was deep in thought, stroking his white, neatly trimmed beard as he stared at the icy planet below.

"Lord Vader?" a soft voice sounded behind him, rousing the Sith Lord from his thoughts. He turned to see Mara Jade standing behind him, her arms crossed in front of her.

"What is it?" he demanded, angry at having been interrupted. But if she was intimidated by the Dark Lord, she didn't show it.

"Sir, Admiral Piett reports that all of the Rebels have escaped."

"Thanks to Admiral Ozzel's incompetence," Vader growled. "What else?"

"Well, there was one ship that escaped from the planet, but didn't make the jump into hyperspace - the Millennium Falcon."

"Is that so?"

"And here's one better - Skywalker was on board the ship."

Vader's breath hitched. "You are certain?"

"Master Halcyon was quite certain," Mara replied. "He also may have sensed one of the children, but he was a bit…fixated… on the elder Skywalker."

"Very well. Have Piett order the fleet to pursue the Millennium Falcon at all costs."

"They moved into an asteroid field, Lord Vader," Mara remarked. "It will be difficult to locate them…"

"Asteroids do not concern me, Hand," Vader growled. "I want that ship, not excuses."

"Very well, my lord," Mara replied. Then without another word the Emperor's Hand turned and walked away to find Admiral Piett and give him his new orders. Vader smiled darkly and turned back towards the window, his thoughts now on the younger Skywalker sibling and the things he planned to do to her…

* * *

"Let me go!" Joyce growled as Willow calmly sipped her tea.

"Not until we've had a little chat," the witch replied, setting down her cup on the small end table. "I let you go now; then violence will ensue. And seeing as I really don't want to explain to your mother why her only daughter is paralyzed, why don't you be a good girl and listen while I talk."

"I hate you."

"_I_ hate me. So let's explore that," Willow replied, rising and walking over so that she was standing in front of the younger girl. "Many years ago I made a choice. That choice cost your father his life. It also cost thousands of Corellians their lives as well. And it cost me everything. My friends, my family, my love - everything. Not a day goes by that I don't regret the choices I made in my youth. And not a day goes by that I don't pay for my sins." With a wave of her hand the air around Joyce dissipated and the young Mandalorian staggered briefly before she straightened out. "If I could bring back your father I would. But I can't. I can't take back anything I did. And for that, I'm truly sorry."

Joyce stared at the witch in silence. After a moment her hand shot out and grasped Willow tightly around her neck.

"I don't want your apologies, bitch. I just want you to die…" her grip tightened momentarily, and for a moment Willow thought that Joyce really would kill her. Then the moment passed and her grip relaxed. Her arm finally dropped to her side as Willow gasped for breath. "But you know something…I think I want you to live. I want you to live a nice, long life haunted by your past. I want you to wake up screaming every night with the faces of those you killed still in your minds eye." She turned to face Obi-Wan, who had just made his way into the Villa. "I'll abide by your rules, Jedi. I'll respect this sacred ground and let her live." She closed the distance between hr and Willow. "But don't think for a minute that I'll train with her or interact with her in any way." With that, Joyce turned and stalked off into the villa to search for her room. Willow rubbed her sore neck while Obi-Wan sighed in relief.

"Well, that went better than I expected." Willow rasped out, causing Obi-Wan to let out a nervous chuckle.

At that moment Anakin came into the room from the kitchen, taking a bite out of the chicken leg he held in one hand and a drink held in the other. He looked up at the two - one nursing a bruised neck, the other unconsciously rubbing his chest.

"What'd I miss?" he asked in confusion.

* * *

"Han, what have you done to my ship?" Buffy complained, looking at the wreck that used to be the engine room. Equipment that she remembered in pristine condition was worn down from hard use. Old grease covered several parts, while others littered the floor.

Han scowled slightly. "It's not your ship, sister. It's mine."

"You can have it. I think I know why you can't go to hyperspace, son. Your engine room's a fraking mess."

Han sighed. "Yeah, well you try to do proper maintenance while running with the Rebellion."

"Your father managed to keep this ship maintained while _running_ a rebellion," Buffy countered.

"Yeah, and look where it got him!" Buffy's eyes narrowed as Han let out a frustrated sigh. "Sorry. I'm just a bit frustrated right now."

"Leia could probably help you with that," Buffy replied absently and, realizing what she had said, blushed. "Just don't tell Anakin I said that."

"And I'll pretend I didn't hear that. The last thing I want is sex advice from my almost-mother." Buffy grinned and Han couldn't help but return it. "I'm going to go find out what Threepio's found out, then take credit for it. Want to come?"

"Nah, I need to head to Auxiliary Control to get some parts for the sublights here." The two parted ways - Han heading for the main hold and Buffy to Auxiliary Control. She reached it just as Leia was entering.

"Hello, Aunt Buffy."

"Leia," Buffy replied warmly. "How are you holding up?"

"Wonderfully," she sighed. "Aunt Buffy, I don't know how you expect to train me here…"

"Don't worry about it," Buffy replied, placing a comforting hand on her niece's shoulder. "We'll find the time. It may not be the most complete training, but I will teach you what you need to know, I promise you."

"This may be the only time I'll have to learn," Leia mused. "Mon Mothma keeps me pretty busy, helping her to run the Alliance. I barely have time to do my exercises now."

"Don't worry about it, Leia. Like I said, we'll find the time." Buffy smiled at the young woman. "You have power like your father, Leia, but you have wisdom and compassion like your mother. You'll be a great addition to the Jedi Council one day - or a great Chancellor."

"I think the title of Chancellor dies with the Old Republic," Leia smiled slightly. "How about Chief of State?"

"It's got a nice ring to it," Buffy replied wryly. "But for now, let's settle on the title of 'ships mechanic' and get this old bird flying again. What do you say?"

"Sounds like a plan," Leia replied, picking up a welder. "Let's get to work."

* * *

Luke sat on the floor in Yoda's small hut, a bowl of – something - in his hand. Cautiously he tasted it and tried to hide his grimace as he forced it down. "Good stuff you got here. Remind me to get the recipe before I leave."

"Harumph," Yoda grunted, seating himself down on the edge of his small bed. "Your Aunt's sarcasm… need that you do not."

"Sorry, Master. She's all I really got to see when I was growing up, aside from Aunt Beru or Uncle Owen. I didn't get to see my parents that much at all… I used to resent them for that. Well, my father mostly."

"Understand now why they did what they did?" Yoda pushed gently. Luke nodded.

"Yeah, I understand now. Its better they stayed away than we all ended up in the emperor's hands."

"And that is why wish you to become a Jedi, hmmm?" Yoda pressed on. "To follow in your father's footsteps and become a Jedi Knight?"

"Partly," Luke admitted. "It's just - the Jedi used to be guardians of the galaxy. They used to maintain peace and justice in the Old Republic. That's something we haven't had in too long…"

"Wish to serve, do you?" Luke nodded and Yoda smiled. "A fine Jedi, you will make. Now, eat! Much have we to discuss before your training we can begin….

* * *

**Earth**

Zett stared at Dawn and inwardly sighed. Ever since her visit to the old theater she had been sullen and withdrawn, to the point where even some of the Masters were starting to talk. For what seemed to be the fifth time that week he found himself sitting across from her in the quarters as she stared pensively into the fireplace.

"Things are starting to pick up now," he remarked, vainly trying to start a conversation. "With both Masters Skywalker and Master Kenobi across the barrier teaching their apprentices and over half of the remaining Council training the Padawans who are preparing for their trials, it's starting to feel like an empty house around here." Dawn continued to stare. "Also, I have another supply run across the barrier tomorrow, so I'll be gone for a few days." Still nothing. "Spike was just dancing down the hallway wearing a pink tutu and singing 'I'm an Oscar-Meyer Weiner'."

Dawn looked up and blinked. "What?"

Zett smiled softly. "I thought that would get your attention." He leaned in and his face turned somber. "Dawn, what's troubling you?"

"I don't know why I'm doing this, Zett. I don't have a reason anymore."

Zett blinked. "What?"

"When Buffy and Willow were taken from us, for a while I felt like I didn't have a reason to go on. It was only after Buffy insisted me in my dreams that I found my reason - I was determined to do whatever it took to bring her back. And I did. And then I wanted to keep my Slayers safe and make Buffy proud…so I trained. And I learned. I worked my ass off to be the best Jedi I could be.

"But now one of my Slayers is dead and I'm no longer a watcher. Buffy has Joyce now to be proud of. And every time I touch the force, I can always feel it in the back of my mind - the darkness is there, just begging to be touched. And I'm terrified that, when the time comes, I won't be able to stop myself."

"Dawn, we've talked about this. What happened at the theater—"

"Is only part of it, Zett. I've been thinking about this for a while now - even before the theater." Dawn stood and moved over to the mantle, lifting her lightstaff from its stand. Almost in resignation she turned and presented the weapon to him. "I'm just not fit to carry this."

Zett stared at the lightstaff for a few moments before reluctantly taking it from his lover. "Dawn…"

"I've made up my mind, Zett…"

The Jedi placed his hand over her mouth, cutting her off. "Now you listen. I will take this and I will hold on to it for you - but I won't keep it. Not until you do one thing for me." Dawn looked at him expectantly. "I know you've been dissatisfied recently. I've felt it, even if I haven't commented on it. And maybe you're right - maybe it's because you feel like you don't have a reason. So here's what I want you to do: you know Llyn Ogwen?"

"Yeah," Dawn nodded. "That's where newbie Slayers go for their vision qu- oh, no." she groaned. "You want me to go on a vision quest?"

"I want you to take a week and get out of here. No Jedi, no Slayers, no training - take a week out there, relax, meditate and try to find your reason again. If you come back in a week and you still want to quit, then I'll respect that and I'll take this," he lifted the lightstaff, "off of your hands permanently. If you change your mind, nobody needs to know you wanted to quit. Well? What do you say?"

Dawn considered her boyfriend for a few minutes, mulling over his offer. A holiday does sound good…

"All right, fine," she finally replied. "I'll go pack some things. But I'll be back in a week - and baring any miracles, you'll still be holding on to that." She indicated the lightstaff, then turned and walked into the bedroom to pack. Zett sighed, returning the staff to the fireplace mantel.

"Not a miracle, my love," he whispered, "just the will of the Force."

TBC…

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Finally got this chapter finished, so here is a late Christmas present for you.

The next chapter will deal with the actual training, and possibly Willow return to the Naberrie homestead. After that we get to Cloud City- and the real fun begins.


	4. Chapter 4: Training and Visions

**Episode 5 Chapter 4**

**Training and Visions

* * *

**

Disclaimer: I own nothing, George and Joss do. I'm just playing in their universes.

Special thanks to my editors Fallenstar2 and Winterd

* * *

Dawn pulled her SUV into the small designated parking area just off the A5 road and stared at the sight before her. Just outside her windshield was the small lake of Llyn Ogwen and beyond it were the mountain ranges of the Carneddau and the Glyderau. All in all it was a magnificent site, but it left Dawn with a feeling of trepidation. Though she wouldn't admit it to Zett the thought of a vision quest scared Dawn. She really didn't want to see what her future held.

"The things we do for love," she muttered under her breath. Sighing in defeat she grabbed her pack from the back seat and climbed out of the car. Locking her vehicle, she adjusted the pack on her shoulders and headed off around the lake towards the mountains beyond it.

* * *

Joyce stood in the meadow in front of Serenity as Obi-Wan led her through her daily exercises. Today it was honing her reflexes using the force and to that end she was clad in the simple tunic of a Padawan learner and had only a training saber for defense.

"You realize this is pointless, right?" she asked her Master as she eyed the remote he had released into the air before her. "In a real fight, I'd just shoot the damn thing."

"And if you were disarmed?" Obi-Wan asked pointedly. Joyce snorted.

"I don't get disarmed," she replied archly as she blocked another shot. "I was trained by the Mandalore. If you got disarmed, you got hurt. I learned very early not to let that happen. Besides - I'm still practicing with a weapon. What happens when I lose my lightsaber?"

"I thought you didn't get disarmed." Obi-Wan pointed out.

"Touché."

"Using the lightsaber will help you focus on letting the Force flow through you. When you become proficient with the weapon, we'll try it with-"

Finally tiring of the training, Joyce reached out with the Force and grabbed onto the remote, then yanked it onto the waiting tip of the lightsaber, impaling it.

"-out," Obi-Wan finished. "Well, that was one way to do it. Very good."

Joyce let out an annoyed sigh as she shut down her saber. "I can't do anything to piss you off, can I?"

"Part of being a Jedi is finding alternatives to every situation. You merely found an alternative to this one. Though you should have practiced a bit more patience."

"I'm not a very patient person, Kenobi."

"I've noticed," the Jedi replied. "You have a very good grasp of fighting skills."

"Like I said, I was trained by the Mandalore himself," Joyce replied, picking up her canteen and taking a swig of water. "He was big on training me to fight, especially after he saw how quickly I learned and how good I could get."

"That's probably due to your mother. She's told you about her being a Slayer?" Joyce nodded in the affirmative, so Obi-Wan continued. "She's told me there have been cases of Slayers having children in the past, but those cases are rare and the child rarely ever got the chance to grow up. The few who did, at least those who were female, tended to take on some of the aspects of the Slayer themselves. You got some of the strength and speed of the Slayer, along with the inherent fighting abilities. Your mother had a hard time when she trained at the Temple because of her slayer abilities…"

"Why?" Joyce interrupted, surprised at the revelation. "I would think that a Slayer's abilities would be a benefit to Jedi training."

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" the Jedi replied wanly. "What you must realize Joyce is that Buffy was a Slayer for many years and fought many battles before coming to us. As a Slayer, she regularly used her emotions to fuel her, to drive her to do what she had to do to protect her planet. And as a Slayer, that was fine. But as a Jedi, when you feel the Force and have access to its awesome powers, your emotions can quickly corrupt you and turn you to the Dark Side.

"Many Masters worked with Buffy over the years to help her bring her emotions into check - Master Windu, Yoda and Cin Drallig, among others. It took years - and a few close calls - but she finally achieved that balance. And now I will try and teach you how to achieve that same balance within yourself."

"You said she had close calls. How bad did mom slip up?" Joyce asked.

"Pretty bad,"Obi-Wan admitted. "Out of all of the Masters who tried to teach her patience, one thought that she merely needed to learn humility."

"Oh, I bet that went well," Joyce muttered sarcastically. Kenobi chuckled.

"About as well as you could expect."

"Who was it?"

Obi-Wan's gaze darkened. "He was a Jedi by the name of Jorus C'baoth. Very powerful and very much respected by many at the Temple. Shortly after Buffy and Anakin arrived, he took the rank of Master-"

"I thought you had to be promoted," Joyce interrupted.

"Jorus had very high opinions of himself. And he was successful enough on his missions that the Council decided to allow it. Anyways, a few years into her stay Master C'baoth decided to try his hand at training Buffy when Mace had been called away on urgent business. He spent the entire day basically telling her that she wasn't good enough, that she was doing everything wrong, that she wasn't powerful enough to be a Jedi; he would have her perform very difficult tasks with the Force, years beyond her current training at the time and then do them himself while telling her she was weak. In the end, Buffy just snapped. She became the Slayer and beat Jorus to within an inch of his life - but then she started tapping into the Force and she started to choke him. It took everything Anakin and I had to get her away from him.

"In the end, Buffy truly regretted what happened that day. But she has always said that someone learned humility that day and it wasn't her."

Joyce eyed the Jedi master."So, do you think I could snap like that?" she asked. Obi-Wan looked back at her evenly.

"Joyce, I'm shocked you haven't yet."

Joyce laughed dryly. "Well, there's something to be said for honesty. I guess I'm less like my mother than you thought… must be something of my father left." Shaking off the thoughts, she offered, "Well, in the interest of not ending up like the evil bitch of the west, what do I have to do?"

Obi-Wan took a seat on the lawn and indicated to Joyce to do the same. "Well, let us start with some basic meditation…"

* * *

"Hanging off the back of a Star Destroyer," Buffy mused as the Falcon made its way slowly through the depths of space. "I never would have thought of that - because it was absolutely insane."

"It worked, didn't it?" Han retorted defensively. Buffy grinned.

"Yeah, it did," she replied warmly. The two were in the engine compartment of the Falcon, looking over the broken hyperdrive and coming to the realization that they weren't going to fix it any time soon, not on their own. "And now we got three weeks to kill before we get to Cloud City. Are we stocked for a trip that long?"

"It'll be tight," Han admitted. "And we'll be chowing down military rations for the most part. But we'll make it."

"Excellent," Buffy replied, rising. "In the meantime, I think I'll go find Leia. No time like the present to start training."

"She just left Aux Control", Han replied. "She shouldn't be too hard to find."

Buffy smiled and left the young pilot, making her way though the familiar corridors of the Millennium Falcon. Awash in memories, she nearly walked right past her quarry, who had secluded herself in the forward viewing room.

"Something vexing thee, Leia?" the elder Jedi asked as she stepped into the room. Beyond the transparisteel, the stars flew by as the ship made its way towards Bespin.

"Huh?" the former Senator asked distractedly and then shook her head. "No, it's nothing." Buffy waited patiently and as rewarded just a few moments later when Leia spoke again. "It's just - have you ever had feelings for someone and you know that the someone is just - wrong and bad and just not the type you should be interested in, but then you still are because there's just something…"

"You're talking about falling for the bad boy," Buffy reasoned. Leia shook her head and the Jedi couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, I've been there. Once or twice…or four times," she added wryly. "Huh. But you'd be surprised how some of those same bad boys turned out to be decent guys, once you got past that, shall we say, scruffy exterior?" Buffy chuckled at Leia's wince. "Han's father was the same way when I met him right up to that attitude. Trust me, it's all bravado. I'm sure he's not at bad as he tries to pretend he is."

"He's arrogant, pig-headed, stubborn…" Leia sighed. "I sure know how to pick 'em, don't I?"

Buffy smiled warmly at her niece. "Nothing a little meditation won't clear up. Come on, It's time I caught you up on your training. I think we'll begin with basic meditation and then go over what you've been practicing on your own…"

* * *

Luke was panting, nearly out of breath in this, the latest of his endurance tests. His Jedi taskmaster had ordered him out on a marathon run through the dense growth of his planet's jungle. Not only had Yoda sent Luke on the exhausting run, but he had invited himself along for the ride. As the Jedi-in-training puffed and sweated his way on his rugged race, the little Jedi Master observed his progress from a pouch strapped to Luke's back.

Yoda shook his head and muttered to himself disparagingly about the youth's lack of endurance.

By the time they returned to the clearing where Artoo Detoo was patiently waiting, Luke's exhaustion had nearly overcome him. As he stumbled into the clearing, Yoda had yet another test planned for him.

Before Luke had caught his breath, the little Jedi on his back tossed a metal bar in front of Luke's eyes. In an instant Luke ignited his laser sword and swung frantically at the bar. But he was not fast enough and the bar fell—untouched—onto the ground with a thud. Luke collapsed on the wet earth in complete exhaustion. "I can't," he moaned, "... too tired."

Yoda, who showed no sign of sympathy, retorted, "It would be in seven pieces, were you a Jedi."

But Luke knew that he was not a Jedi—not yet, anyway. And the rigorous training program devised by Yoda had left him nearly out of breath. "I thought I was in good shape," he gasped.

"Yes, but by what standard, ask I?" the little instructor quizzed. "Forget your old measures. Unlearn, unlearn!"

Luke truly felt ready to unlearn all his old ways and willing to free himself to learn all this Jedi Master had to teach. It was rigorous training, but as time passed, Luke's strength and abilities increased and even his skeptical little master began to see hope. But it was not easy. Yoda spent long hours lecturing his student about the ways of the Jedi. As they sat under the trees near Yoda's little house, Luke listened intently to all the master's tales and lessons. And as Luke listened, Yoda chewed on his Gimer Stick, a short twig with three small branches at the far end.

And there were physical tests of all kinds. In particular, Luke was working hard to perfect his leap. Once he felt ready to show Yoda his improvement. As the master sat on a log next to a wide pond, he heard the loud rustling of someone approaching through the vegetation. Suddenly Luke appeared on the other side of the pond, coming toward the water at a run. As he approached the shore, he made a running leap toward Yoda, rising high above the water as he hurtled himself through the air. But he fell short of the other side and landed in the water with a loud splash, completely soaking Yoda.

Yoda's green lips turned down in disappointment.

Two weeks into his training Luke sat in a small clearing, his legs crossed beneath him and his hands on his knees. His eyes were closed as he reached out with the Force to levitate the small and medium sized stones that Yoda had placed around him.

"Good, good," Yoda murmured quietly. "With a calm mind comes control. Remember, let the Force flow though you."

"Did my father do these same exercises?" Luke asked and he raised the stones even higher.

"More or less," Yoda replied. "A different era for a different kind of Jedi, it was. Training started much earlier for most. For your father, different it was."

"How so?"

"Much older he was when to the temple he was brought. Qui-Gon was determined to train him, despite the dangers we thought involved. But powerful in the Force he was and trained by Obi-Wan we allowed."

"Master," Luke asked hesitantly, gently lowering the stones to the ground as he opened his eyes to look upon the Jedi. "What happened to all of the Jedi? I've heard bits and pieces, but I still don't truly know what happened."

Yoda sighed. "Complicated, that is…"

"The galaxy was deceived by a lie, Luke," a new voice answered, "and the Jedi paid the heaviest price of all."

"Mother!" Luke exclaimed, rushing over to his mother and giving her a fierce hug. "I'm so glad you're here!"

Padmè returned the hug eagerly, relishing the contact with her son. "I am, too. But I'm afraid I'm not here for a reunion." She pulled away and looked at her grown son and felt the familiar pang of regret. "It's time you knew the full truth of why we've lived apart, of what happened to the Jedi - and what happened to your father."

* * *

Dawn sighed as she absently threw another woodchip into the fire. She had been sitting here for several hours, tending to the fire and attempting to center herself with meditation.

At that last task, she had been failing miserably.

"Okay, alright, I'm ready!" she called out in a bored tone to nobody. "Any time, really! Vision me up so I can go home and…mope. Or something more constructive than sitting by this damn fire waiting for a vision to pop into my head."

"Yeah, because moping is far more important than the fate of the world," a familiar voice called out. Dawn slowly looked up across the fire to see the visage of her dead friend smiling back at her.

"Hello, Watcher-mine," Vi said, grinning broadly. "Long time, no see."

**TBC

* * *

**

A/N:Man, this chapter really kicked my ass. I mean seriously, well and truly kicked my ass. Sorry it's been so long, but between writer's block and real life, writing just isn't a big priority right now. But I just got myself a laptop, so I should be finding more time and places to write. There will be one more 'training chapter', and then we finally get to the good stuff on Cloud City- including Joyce vs Fett, Luke vs Halcyon, Buffy vs Vader, and Willow vs Mara.

I am writing this note on a small table in what is soon to become my former room. The next few days are going to be really hectic for me, so don't expect another update anytime soon. I was lucky to get this one out.

However, I have a weeks vacation coming up, and my move is almost complete, so I will have time to write. I've already sent two chapters of Finding Avalon to my beta, and am working on a third, and I hope to start writing some more Light Brigade as well.

Finally, I know I don't answer all of the reviews, but I do read them. Thank you all for your continued support.

-Naitch03


	5. Chapter 5: Ghosts of the Past

**Episode 5 Chapter 5**

**Ghosts of the Past**

* * *

Dawn stared in fearful shock at the apparition that sat across the fire from her. Vi just smirked back.

"Well, here's a sight I never thought I'd see. Dawn Summers: speechless."

"You… you're dead."

"You don't say," Vi deadpanned.

"It's a trick," Dawn muttered to herself her eyes shut tight and her head shaking, "It's another illusion of the dark side, just go away, go away, go away…"

"This isn't the Dark Side, Dawnie. And it's not quite your imagination, either."

"Then what are you!" Dawn demanded. "What do you want?"

Vi rolled her eyes and sighed. "You came here to have a vision quest," she explained patiently. "I'm part of your vision."

Dawn sighed and flopped down beside the fire. "Great. So I'm seeing dead people again. Okay, Casper: vision me away!

Vi moved around the fire and sat down cross-legged in front of her old Watcher. "The first thing you have to understand is that, while I'm basically a force-ghost, I am Vi. I'm the essence of your friend that passed into the Force when she died. Accordingly, I have all of her – i.e. my - thoughts and feelings and emotions. So please believe me when I say - my death is not your fault."

"Yes it was," Dawn protested quietly.

"No, it wasn't," Vi replied, shaking her head emphatically. "Dawn, we were all young and stupid. And Slayers… well, we tend to be reckless. A little too reckless, sometimes." Vi laughed mirthlessly. "We went so long without any serious injuries, without any casualties, that we began to think we were immortal. We all got careless and, as a result, I died.

"It wasn't just you - yes, you were my Watcher. But you weren't my mother. You trained me how to survive, how to fight, how to defend - but I chose to disregard all of that in order to get the kill. You didn't choose how I died, Dawn. I did."

"I should have…should have done more…should have done something…" Dawn sobbed. "All this power and I couldn't do anything…."

"And that brings me to point number two - you have a lot of power, Dawn, and it scares you. It scares you a _lot_. On top of that you've been blaming yourself for my death and now you're competing for Buffy's affections against Joyce. All of those dark feelings are twisting you up inside, giving the Dark Side a conduit to flow through. You have to shut that conduit down, Dawn. You're too important right now to be giving into the Dark Side."

"And how do I do that?" Dawn demanded angrily. "Just wave my hand and those feeling will just go away? You can tell me all you want that I wasn't responsible for your death - and maybe, on some level, I believe that. But it still doesn't change the fact that I lost my best friend that night! And Joyce!" Dawn threw her hand up as she let out a disgusted snort. "Oh, just let me get started on that piece of work, with her Mandalorian code and her abandonment issues…"

"You don't have abandonment issues?" Vi asked calmly, shutting Dawn up with the observation. "Your father? Ran off with the secretary and never heard from again. Your mother? Dead, just when everyone thought the worst was behind her. And Buffy? Sacrifices herself for you - and when you finally get her back, she's just too busy to be anything more than you Jedi Master, really."

"But she's had more than enough time for Joyce!" Dawn snarled back. Vi winced slightly at the dark energy seeping out of Dawn.

"Joyce is her daughter, Dawn. She missed her entire childhood. Would you really begrudge her time with her own da-" Understanding bloomed in the former Slayer's mind. "Ah. Joyce is her daughter - but in a way, so are you."

"I worked so hard…_so hard_… to get her back," Dawn said quietly, her anger slowly deflating. "She's the only family I have left. She basically is my mother - I was made from her. I just want…"

"Dawn, she loves you!" Vi exclaimed. "And she is so proud of you - you can see it every time she looks at you. She's proud of what you've accomplished - both as a Watcher and as a Jedi. And as much as she loves Joyce - she loves you just as much."

Dawn let Vi's words flow over her, though her, washing away the pain she had been carrying ever since that night when her friend had been taken from her; the resentment that had built up ever since Buffy's daughter had turned up alive and psychotic; the hurt of the cold, almost analytical way that Buffy had been treating her over the past few months. Vi sensed this and smiled.

"That's right, Dawn. Let it go. Let it all go. Those feelings can only hurt you now. It's time for you, Dawn. Time to step up and take your place among the Jedi."

Dawn sniffled and wiped away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. "What do you mean, Vi?"

Vi smiled grimly. "I said this was a vision quest, Dawn. Here's the vision." Gently she laid her hand upon Dawn's forehead-

And Dawn's world exploded.

* * *

"Anakin was a powerful Jedi, Luke," Padmè began. The trio was seated in the yard just in front of Yoda's dwelling. Luke sat cross-legged across from his mother, listening intently to the story he had wanted to hear all of his life- the story of why his father couldn't be with him.

"Anakin was powerful and skilled, but not always…appreciated… by the Jedi Order. He started years later than most Padawans - brought in by Qui-Gon Jin, a Jedi that was known to be rebellious. Obi-Wan took over his training after Qui-Gon was killed. And while he excelled in his training, his self-control was decidedly lacking."

"Impetuous, he was," Yoda added. "Reckless, irresponsible. Took chances when logical thinking would have gotten the job done. Not smiled upon by us was this."

"As he grew older, Anakin began to feel – stifled - by the Order. He felt that his way of doing things was the right way and the Council was too old and stuffy to see that. These views were encouraged by the then-Chancellor Palpatine, though nobody realized it at the time.

"I knew the Chancellor regularly visited with the Jedi - Anakin in particular," Padmè continued. "I never told him, but I also took an interest in his progress. I suppose I was always drawn to him, even back then. Anakin later told me that Palpatine took on the role of an Uncle to him - always listening to his problems, giving him advice, teaching him about the subtleties of politics, things like that. Palpatine treated him with respect, with love. Over the years he began to trust him more than the Council, which had only seemed to regard him with suspicion and mistrust.

"Eventually my life came into danger and Obi-Wan and Anakin came back into my life to protect me. Despite my common sense telling me that we couldn't be together, we fell in love and were married. And that's when things started falling apart.

"We were at war and Anakin spent much of his time on the front. The few times he was rotated home, we spent as much time together as we could without arousing anyone's suspicions. But Anakin never liked hiding our marriage. He wanted people to know how much he loved me, even if it cost him his life as a Jedi. I, however, knew that the Jedi needed him for the war. But he chaffed under their restrictions, their codes…"

"And Palpatine was there to encourage it, right?" Luke guessed. Padmè nodded.

"None of us saw it - or rather, none of us wanted to see it. Anakin was perilously close to falling to the Dark Side before Buffy finally realized what was going on and talked some sense into him."

"So he stood up to Palpatine and had to hide as a result," Luke deduced, but his face fell at the look on his mother's face.

"Anakin tried to stand up to him - but Palpatine had an ace up his sleeve - a Sith Lady named Darth Traya - who had once been my sister, Willow. She had fallen years ago, seduced by the power of the Dark Side and the promise of a way home. She was scared and confused and terribly homesick... Palpatine and Tyranus took advantage of her weakened state and convinced her to join them. And once the Dark Side took hold, the good person that had been Willow was buried deep down. Palpatine used Traya to mentally enslave Anakin and turn him into the monster known as Darth Vader."

Luke blinked. "Darth… but, Vader wiped out the Jedi! He's been terrorizing the galaxy for the past twenty years! How could my father-"

"The Darth Vader you know of is actually the clone of a former Jedi Master, Jorus C'baoth. But Anakin was the first Vader. He led the assault on the Jedi Temple. He ended the war by killing the Separatists leaders. He became what Palpatine had wanted - an unstoppable killing machine, fully immersed in the dark side. But Palpatine didn't count on how…resilient… Buffy could be - or the fact that her family had finally found a way to bring her back. With their help she defeated Traya and ended her spell.

"Anakin was broken, in many ways. It took a long time for him to really heal from the wounds Palpatine and Traya had inflicted on his soul. But one thing we had realized from the first moment he was free was that Palpatine would not rest until Anakin Skywalker was his apprentice once more - and if not him, then his children. And then I had a Force vision that showed me how important you and your sister would be to the future of this realm. So we made the decision to split you up, to hide you from the Emperor. And then we made the decision to hide in the one place where he would never find us - across the barrier, on Earth."

"This is why we've stayed hidden all of these years, Luke. This is why we missed your childhood, Leia's childhood. And this is why you two have been hidden away in the far corners of the galaxy - and why your training now is so important. The Emperor wants a Skywalker for his apprentice - and if he can't have Anakin, he'll take you - or Leia."

* * *

Joyce sat in the living room of Serenity, meditating. Of all of the Jedi exercises her new Master forced upon her, this was the one she loved the most. It was the one time that she could truly find some peace - both in herself and in the world around her.

Until that damnable presence made itself known…

"Let me ask you a question, young Solo," Willow started, taking a seat in the couch in front of the young Mandalorian. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"Besides the fact that you're ruining my concentration?" she growled in return, "the fact that you had my father murdered isn't enough?"

"Darth Traya ordered his death, along with the death of every person on Corellia." Willow countered. "I, however, am not Darth Traya."

Joyce opened her eyes and looked coldly at the witch. "Just because your hair got lighter and your voice got higher doesn't mean you're not a murdering bitch."

"And what does that make Fett?" Joyce was silent at her reply. "That's right, Joyce. I know why you really agreed to do this training. You want to be strong enough to go after the man that actually pulled the trigger."

"I'm doing this because my mother wanted me to and I didn't feel like hearing her nagging me for months on end."

"No, you're doing this because he taught you everything you know, so you need an edge. Let me give you some advice - you're bordering dangerously close on the Dark Side, Joyce. And the minute you use the Force to exact your revenge from Fett, from myself, from Palpatine - that's the minute you become Darth Traya." Willow rose and headed out of the room. "Think about that," she said as she left.

Joyce's meditations were far less peaceful for the rest of the day.

* * *

_Everywhere she looked, she saw blood._

_And where there wasn't blood, there were bodies. Dozens. Hundreds. All with the tell-tale scorch marks of a lightsaber blade._

_The Council buildings were a smoldering ruin. Limbs, heads, torsos scattered around everywhere she looked. Over there, by the remains of the Memorial Wall was…_

_ZETT!!!_

_His lifeless body lie slumped over, leaning back against the wall, his lifeless eyes staring emptily at the ground. His right hand was missing - she saw it several feet away, the ruined lightsaber still smoldering in the severed hand. All around him, the destroyed bodies of Storm Troopers littered the ground. From the looks of it he fought bravely, fighting a holding action that was as futile as it was final. Lying next to him, she found the reason he had fought so bravely as she stared into her own lifeless eyes._

_Dawn found she couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think…then she felt it. A presence, more powerful and malevolent than any she had ever felt before. More than Glory, more than the fleeting feeling so the Emperor…_

_She looked up._

_Not two meters away she stood. Clothed in black, form-fitting armor a long black cape draped over her shoulders and billowing behind her. Her long, blond hair was tied behind her in a neat ponytail, a stark contrast to the chaos surrounding her. And her eyes…_

_They glowed a malevolent red._

_Buffy Summers had returned to Earth, with a vengeance._

_And the Jedi, finally, were no more._

Dawn gasped as Vi pulled her hand away, and looked at her friend in shock and fear. "Vi…what…"

"That was what will happen, Dawn, if things continue on their present course. Palpatine will get what he's always wanted - a Skywalker for an apprentice. And she will paint the galaxy red with the blood of the Jedi and her own family. And you must save her."

"Me?! Why? How?"

"The Jedi Council won't act for their own reasons. Joyce and Willow will be facing their own demons. The only leaves you, Dawn." Vi smiled and put her hand on Dawn's cheek. "You found the power to save her once, Dawn. Now you'll have to find that power once more." Vi leaned in and kissed Dawn gently on the forehead. "Good luck, Watcher-mine. And may the Force be with you."

Dawn gasped once more as she bolted awake. She was lying on the ground in front of the dying fire, her coat pulled tightly around her protecting her from the cold.

_A dream, _she thought. _It was all a dream._

_Or a vision…._

She could feel Vi's hand on her cheek - the light, feather touch of her lips on her forehead. She remembered the vivid vision of death and destruction Vi had given her…of Buffy, the next Dark Lord of the Sith.

"No," Dawn vowed, and tapping into the Force- and her own, inner power- a light green light played over Dawn's body -

And she disappeared.

**TBC…..**

* * *

Oh. Dear. GOD. Over TWO FREAKING MONTHS! I apologize profusely for the delay, folks, but real life has been kicking my ass once more - politics, the threat of being fired, the usual. Add on top of that that I've gotten slightly burned out on Star Wars - it was a near two year kick, after all; my 'Finding Avalon' story taking over my imagination and free time and my renewed fascination with the Marvel Universe and my renewed desire to begin my 'Chronicles of the Red Witch' saga, and the time and desire to write this story has been greatly diminished.

Oh, and it's impossible to upload chapters from my Vista-run laptop, and my XP desktop wouldn't connect to the internet.

But fear not true believers!

This story is not abandoned nor on hiatus. But the updates will be farther apart. Though hopefully not this far apart anymore. I'm actually getting to the good part of the story and I hope to wrap it up in a few more chapters. Next chapter we'll see Willow reconnect with her estranged family and well rejoin Buffy, Leia, Han and Chewie on Cloud City - where an old enemy awaits!


	6. Chapter 6: Cloud City Confidential

General Disclaimer: I won NOTHING! Except Joyce, that is.

Special thanks to Fallenstar2 for the editing, and a special thanks to my readers for their patience.

* * *

**Episode 5 chapter 5**

**Cloud City Confidential**

* * *

"Tara, may I speak to you for a moment?" 

"Of course, Zett."

The Jedi and the witch made their way through the expansive grounds around the lake outside of the Council headquarters. It was a slightly overcast day and both wore their own cloaks to keep out the chill of the early autumn air. The young witch looked over at the Jedi. "I'd ask what's on your mind, but we both know what - or who - it is."

Zett nodded. "Dawn."

"Are you worried she won't find what she's looking for? Or are you worried that she will and the Order won't be it?"

Zett shrugged. "A little of both, really. She's been so torn up recently…. ever since Vi died. I just don't know how to help her, especially if this holiday doesn't do anything."

Tara stopped and put a comforting hand on the Jedi's shoulder. "You've helped her tremendously by just being there. That's what she needs right now - love."

Zett chuckled. "Love wasn't something that was taught to us in the old Order. I'm just making this up as I go."

"That's all love really is, Zett. There's nothing planned or plotted about it - it's all just making it up as you go. That's—" Tara was suddenly interrupted by a piercing wail that sounded over the entire compound. She looked up and gasped in shock as the wards around the compound shimmered violently, then started cracking. All of the Jedi on the ground activated their lightsabers in preparation of attack as the wards finally fell, the luminous dome of mystical energy shattering above and around them.

And, in a flash of light, Dawn appeared, dirty and disheveled.

"Buffy…" she croaked, before the strain of her teleportation finally took hold on her and she collapsed into darkness, her last sight Zett rushing towards her.

* * *

"No, I don't have a landing permit," Han said calmly into the mic. "I'm tryin' to reach Lando Calrissian…" Han was brought up short as several laser bursts were fired at the Corellian freighter. "Whoa, whoa! Wait a minute!" 

"You will not deviate from your present course," a menacing voice called back.

"I thought you said you knew this guy?" Leia asked. Han shot her a look.

"I do!" Chewie growled at Han and the smuggler shrugged. "Well, that was a long time ago."

Buffy shook her head in amusement, thinking on how much like his father Han really was.

"Permission granted to land on platform 327," the voice growled again, and Han let out a subtle sigh of relief.

"See? No problem."

The _Falcon_ banked gracefully between the towers of the floating city, before gently putting down on the landing pad. Han cut the engines and put all systems on stand-by. "He'll help us," Han reassured them. "We go way back."

"Who's worried?" Leia asked redundantly as the group made their way down the ramp to the empty landing pad.

"Humph! No one to greet us!" Threepio groused, seemingly put out by the sleight. Buffy shook her head at the droid's antics and wondered again what Ani had been thinking when he had initially programmed it.

Leia looked around nervously. "I don't like this."

"What's to like?" Buffy replied. "Just remember to keep your senses open and your safety off."

"Will you two relax!" Han complained. "Everything will be fine! Trust me!" he motioned to Chewie, "Hey, keep an eye out, will ya?" The large Wookie growled in affirmation.

Suddenly the door at the far end of the platform rose and out walked several people - most of them armed. At the head of the column was a cyborg and a tall, mustachioed black man in a powder blue uniform, adorned with a long, flowing cape.

"Look out, here comes Batman," Buffy said quietly under her breath. "I mean seriously, a cape?"

"Those are considered stylish on a lot of Core worlds," Leia replied

"Hey, Lando!" Han said jovially, throwing his arms out in welcome - and to show he wasn't holding any weapons.

"Why you slimy, double-crossing, no good swindler!" Landor replied, unsmiling. "You've got a lot of guts coming here, after what you pulled."

Han merely pointed to himself, his expression saying: _Who, me?_

Lando slowly walked up to a wary Han, his expression - a veteran Sabbac player expression - giving away nothing. After a moment, he feigned throwing a punch, then wrapped his arms around Han, giving the man a warm, brotherly hug.

"Haha! You old space pirate! So good to see you! It's been years!" he said rapidly and, much to Han's relief, Lando's cyborg companion turned and ordered the guards away. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, repairs," Han replied, motioning to the _Falcon_. Lando adopted a stern expression once more, though his tone was jesting.

"Repairs? What have you done to my ship?"

"Hey, she's my ship!" Han replied casually. "I won her fair and square."

"And I still have the original ownership documents, so technically she's still mine," Buffy chimed in, extending her hand to Lando. "Buffy Summers."

Lando eyed her casually as he took her hand and kissed the top of it. "Charmed, I'm sure," he replied smoothly. "I must say, seeing how old the _Falcon_ is, you must age mighty gracefully."

"I moisturize."

"And hello, what do we have here?" he said, eyeing Leia. "Hello, I'm Lando Calrissian. I'm the administrator of this facility. And you are…"

"Leia," she responded simply. Lando smiled and kissed her hand as well.

"Welcome Leia," he replied, before turning his glance to Chewbacca. "And hello to you, Chewie. Still flying around with this loser?" Chewy growled good-naturedly in response. "Well, shall I give you all the tour?"

The group made their way across the narrow bridge towards the city. "So what kind of repairs do you need?"

"Hyperdrive."

"I'll get my people on it right away. You know, that ship save my life more times than I can count," he stated to the rest of the group. "She's the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy."

The group made their way into the city, with Lando pointing out odd sights to them.

"How's your mining operation going?" Han asked Lando.

"Not as well as I'd like," Calrissian answered. "We're a small outpost and not very self-sufficient. I've had supply problems of every kind and..." The administrator noticed Han's amused grin. "What's so funny?"

"You." Then Han chuckled. "Sounding so responsible."

Lando looked at his old friend reflectively. "Seeing you sure brings back a few memories." He shook his head, smiling. "Yes, I'm responsible these days. It's the price of success. And you know what, Han? You were right all along. It's overrated."

Both burst out laughing, causing a head or two to turn as the group moved through the city walkways.

Threepio lagged a bit behind, fascinated by the various alien sights. As he passed a doorway it opened and out walked another protocol droid.

"Oh, so nice to see a familiar face!" Threepio exclaimed.

"Echuta!" the other droid snarked, ignoring Threepio and moving past him.

"How rude!" he exclaimed. He started to walk on, but then heard a familiar beeping sound coming from inside. "Oh! An R2 unit. I wonder…" Threepio entered the room, looking around for his friend. "Hello…"

"Who are you?"

"Oh!" Threepio exclaimed in shock and fear. "Oh, I'm so terribly sorry…p-please don't get up… NO!"

The last sound heard before the door slammed shut was the sound of a blaster bolt blowing apart the golden droid. Chewie missed this, however, as he came back to look for the wayward droid. Seeing nothing, the Wookie shrugged and walked away.

* * *

"Oy….what a headache…" Dawn groaned as she pulled herself up. Dimly she felt a steadying hand on her arm. 

"Easy, Dawn. You're not quite well yet," Zett said quietly.

"What happened?"

"You teleported from the retreat. You smashed through the wards - they are completely down now. Giles has the coven frantically trying to get them back up."

"I do anything else?" the young Jedi groggily asked.

Zett nodded. "You mentioned your sister. Dawn, what happened? Did you have a vision?"

Dawn's breath hitched as the vision - the _nightmare _- cam flooding back to her. "Yeah," she finally replied. "Yeah, it was. Zett, I need you to get the Council together. I need to speak to them, like yesterday."

Zett leaned in and touched her face concernedly. "What is it, Dawn? What did you see?"

"The end of all things."

* * *

"This is not a good idea." 

Willow and Anakin had taken the day away from Serenity, choosing to go back to her parents' house for a long overdue visit.

Well, Anakin had decided to go. Willow wasn't as anxious.

Well, she _was_ anxious…

"I mean, seriously. I know they took me in and loved me like a daughter - but then I went schizo and tried to kill their _real_ daughter…"

"That wasn't you," Anakin countered. "That was Darth Traya. If Padmé could forgive you, so can they."

"It's different for parents…"

"Would you forgive Mara for what she has done?" Anakin asked, glancing over at his pupil. Willow let out an exasperated sigh.

"Of course I will, but that's hardly the same. I mean, I've never even met the girl."

The walked in silence for a while more, until they finally reached the house. "Oh, boy…"

"Control your emotions, Willow," Anakin cautioned. Willow scoffed.

"Hi, pot? This is kettle. You're black!"

Anakin sighed. "Okay, I deserved that."

"Well, well. The prodigal daughter returns."

The two stopped and Willow's breath hitched as the familiar voice hit her ears. The redhead looked up to see Sola calmly gazing down at the two of them.

"Hello, Sola."

"Willow."

She was older than Willow remembered - but then again, she had spent the past twenty years in the reality's time back on earth. New worry lines lined her face around her moth and eyes and her once dark hair was now predominately grey. But the Naberrie fire still burned fiercely in her eyes - the same eyes that held a cold, almost analytical gaze over her now.

"I'm back!" she said lamely. "Uh…how are your kids?"

"Grown up. You, however, look like you haven't aged a day since the last time I saw you. On the holonet, if I remember. You were leading an invasion on some planet or other." She smiled wanly. "Good times?"

Willow shook her head "Dark times," she replied sadly. "Are mom and dad…?"

"Still alive?" Sola finished. "Yes, no thanks to what you put them through…"

"Sola," Anakin interrupted. "Willow had gone through some…trying times. She has made mistakes - but she is paying for them. But right now, we really need to see your parents. Are they in?"

Sola looked at Anakin and then back at Willow. Finally, she sighed in defeat.

"Yes, they are," she said. "Come on in; I'll go get them."

* * *

It only took an hour, but soon the entire Council - minus the three that were across the barrier at the moment - had convened at Zett's request to hear Dawn speak. Zett himself stood behind his love, standing at attention as she relayed her vision to the Jedi Masters. Finally she finished and the Master's briefly convened with one another. Finally they finished and Roan looked to Dawn. 

"We thank you for bringing this to our attention, Padawan. Rest assure that Master Summers is aware of the dangers lurking across the barrier and will be able to deal with any threat that comes her way. You are dismissed."

Dawn blinked. It was the only response she could think of, really. Here she was, telling them about approaching doom and they were just going to summarily dismiss her? "I'm sorry?" she finally said.

"You're dismissed," Roan repeated, a little more forcefully. Zett gently reached out and took Dawn by the arm, but the girl shrugged him off.

"I'm dismissed? Just like that? I come here and tell you that Buffy _is_ going to turn to the Dark Side unless someone goes over and pulls her out - that would be _not_ handling the problem, by the way - and you just tell me to run along?"

"Really Padawan, that's enough…" Aayla started, but was cut off by the angry student.

"THE HELL IT'S ENOUGH!" Dawn screamed. "I didn't bust my ass for three years trying to get her back, just to lose her because of your inaction! Someone needs to go get her out - or at least help her… "

"YOU ARE DISMISSED, Padawan!" Roan repeated forcefully, coming to his feet. "Buffy knows the risks and she knows what she is doing. And I remind you that our decision regarding unauthorized travel is still in effect. That is all."

The Master sat back down and turned to talk to Master Chatak. Dawn growled in frustration, but gave a short, sloppy bow, then turned and stalked out of the room, Zett right behind her. When the doors closed, Roan sighed and slouched back into his chair.

"If Buffy was anything like Dawn is now when she was a Padawan, I have a new found respect for Master Windu, may he be with the Force."

"Perhaps we should call this off," Master Kilwallen said, looking at her colleagues. Master Sibwarra shook her head.

"No. I firmly believe that Buffy can handle her part. Though it disturbs me that she didn't tell us about Vader's involvement."

"She might now have known," Aayla pointed out. "Nevertheless, Buffy told us to let things play out as they would and I believe that we should."

"And if Master Summers falls?" Teryl asked. Roan snorted in amusement.

"Are you kidding? Dawn's probably getting a PPG as we speak."

* * *

The Naberrie household was unusually quiet, considering the number of people sitting in one room at the moment. Willow could not take her eyes off of the two people she had come to call parents. Jobal, despite looking frail and thin, still displayed the sense of power only the matriarch of a family could exude. Her thin, bony hands were clasped tightly in her lap as she looked back at her prodigal daughter. Ruwee had fared worse over the years - age had caught up to him finally and he was confined to a hoverchair. But despite how frail his body had become, his mind was still sharp and his eyes clear. 

Willow sighed, finally tearing her gaze away from the only true parents she had ever had and gazing down at her hands. "I don't know what to say."

"You could start with an apology," Ruwee said simply. Willow laughed bitterly.

"Yeah, that'd be good. 'Gee, mom and dad, so sorry I got suckered by an evil, manipulative bastard into trying to take over the galaxy and to try and kill your real daughter. My bad.' What a great way to start…"

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'Gee mom and dad, so sorry I haven't visited in over twenty years', but I guess we can start with that other one first."

Willow gaped at her father. "You're angry that I didn't visit?"

"Willow," Jobal started, leaning forward slightly and taking her estranged daughter's hand in hers, "when we first saw what you had become - yes, we were shocked and angry. We took you in, gave you a home, cared for you…Padmé and Sola were like true sisters to you and you to them. Suddenly you were doing all of these horrible things…" she sighed. "After it was all over, when Ani and Padmé came to visit Leia and Padmé talked about how you two were speaking once more, how she had forgiven you...when she explained why… we forgave you then, too."

"We've just been waiting for you to come back so we could tell you," Sola said softly, a sad smile on her face. "Took you long enough."

Willow looked at the three with tears in her eyes. "I'm so, so very sorry…you can't begin to imagine…" Sobbing, the woman collapsed into her mother's arms. Sola moved behind her and wrapped her arms around her sister, leaning her head against her back as tears of joy fell from her eyes as well. Ruwee laid a hand on his middle daughter's knee.

"Welcome home, Willow." He said quietly. "Welcome home."

Anakin smiled and quietly excused himself, not wanting to intrude any further on the family moment.

* * *

Three hours had passed since the _Falcon_ had touched down at Cloud City. And while the work on the ship was almost completed and the group was quite comfortable in the luxury suites that Lando had provided, it didn't stop the worry they felt at the fact that Threepio was still missing. A fact that Leia was bringing up yet again. 

"He's been gone too long to have gotten lost!" she argued.

Han grasped her by the shoulders and planted a light kiss on her forehead. "I'm sure he's fine, Leia. And Chewie will bring him back any second. Relax!"

Leia sighed. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "It's just something about this place…setting me on edge…"

"I feel it, too," Buffy said, fidgeting with her new clothes that Lando had provided for the ladies. Han was out of luck in that department at least, it seemed, as he was stuck with the same grubby clothes. "Something's… decidedly odd."

"Odd in a bad way?" Han asked. Buffy sighed in frustration and rolled her neck, working out the kinks. "I really don't know."

At that moment Chewie came in, carrying a crate filed with scorched, golden droid pieces.

"Threepio!" Leia exclaimed, glancing in dismay at the disassembled droid. "Oh, what a mess!"

"What happened?" Buffy asked, sifting through the pieces. Chewie mewled a sentence and Leia looked at him in confusion.

"You found him in a junk pile?" she repeated.

"Lando's got people who can fix him," he pointed out before he wilted slightly under Leia's glare.

"No thanks," she replied firmly. "He may be charming, but I still don't trust him."

"Well I don't trust him either, but he's still my friend," Han pointed out.

Before anymore arguments could be made, the door chimed and slid open, revealing the debonair figure of Lando Calrissian behind it.

"Sorry, am I interrupting anything?"

"Not really," the princess said distantly.

Lando grinned, ignoring the coldness direct at him. "My dear, you truly belong here with us among the clouds."

She smiled icily. "Thanks."

"Would you care to join me for a little refreshment? Everyone's invited, of course," Lando said.

Leia took Lando's proffered arm and, as the group moved toward the door, Calrissian glimpsed the box of golden robot parts. "Having problems with your droid?" he asked.

"No," Han said quickly. "Why?" Lando raised an eyebrow and then looked back at Buffy, who just shrugged.

"Don't look at me, it's a guy thing. I wouldn't understand."

The group left the apartment, leaving behind the box full of shattered parts of a protocol droid.

They strolled through the long white corridors, with Leia walking between Han and Lando. Buffy and Chewie brought up the rear, exchanging amused glances as Lando put the moves on the uninterested Leia while Han tried to act nonchalant. As they made their way through the technological wonder of a city, Lando was explaining to them the political situation.

"So you see," Lando explained, "we are a free station and do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Empire."

"You're part of the mining guild then?" Leia asked.

"Not actually. Our operation is small enough not to be noticed. Which is advantageous to our clients."

Han turned to Calrissian as they neared the dining room. "Lando, aren't you afraid the Empire might eventually discover this little operation and shut you down?"

"That's always been the danger," the administrator replied as they stopped in front of the closed doors of the dining room. "It's loomed like a shadow over everything we've built here. But circumstances have developed which will insure security. You see, I've made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever."

With that the doors slid open - and Buffy was immediately struck in the head by a flying object, sending the Jedi Master careening back into the hall where she fell to the floor, unconscious. The rest of the group stared in horror as the dark, bearded man known once as Jorus C'baoth - now known as Darth Vader - calmly lowered his had as he rose from behind the table, a smirk on his face.

Han didn't think about the fact that this was one of the most powerful Sith Lords in the galaxy; didn't think about the fact that he had just taken down his would-be stepmother with contemptuous ease; didn't think about the fact that Vader had been killing guys like him for twenty years without breaking a sweat. He didn't think at all, he just let his instincts take over and quick drew his blaster, firing off several shots. Vader merely lifted a hand and the bolts splashed harmlessly against an invisible screen of Force energy, then lifted his other hand to summon the blaster away from the smuggler. Han stared in shock as his weapon flew through the air of its own volition into the outstretched hand of the Sith Lord.

His shock tuned to downright fear as Boba Fett stepped into the room from the antechamber behind Vader, his blaster trained on the remains of the group.

"We would be honored, Captain Solo, if you and your friends would join up for dinner," Vader asked nonchalantly, sitting back down and calmly cutting into his meat. He cut a small portion and then gently placed the morsel into his mouth, smiling at the taste as she chewed it. "I'd recommend the steak - it's especially tasty. After all - this should be a meal you enjoy, should it not?"

Han turned to Lando, who looked back with sadness and self-loathing. "They arrived just before you did, I had no choice. I'm sorry," he added.

Han glared at his once best-friend. "I'm sorry, too," he replied, grudgingly making his way to his seat, even as the guards secured Buffy and hauled her away.

* * *

"Stupid, arrogant, stuck-up jack-asses…" Dawn muttered as she stalked her way aimlessly through the Council building. "Dooming us all with their inaction… didn't they learn anything from the past?" 

"Dawn? Would you please calm down?" he glanced at a couple of younglings quickly scampered out of the way. "You're scaring the straights…"

Dawn abruptly stopped and spun around, facing Zett. "Zett, do you love me?"

"Yes," he replied without hesitation.

"And do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Then I need you to do something for me," she said, taking a breath. "I need you to get me a PPG…"

**TBC…**

**Well, it took me getting canned to get another chapter up, but here it is. I'm already working on the next chapter as well, and we're finally getting into the meat of the story. Next chapter- visions, dreams, torture- and everyone begins to converge on Cloud City...**


	7. Chapter 7: Ripple Effects

**Episode 5 Chapter 7**

**Ripple Effect**

* * *

It was with a lighter heart and a wider smile that Willow made her way with Anakin back up the hill to Serenity. 

"Thank you, Anakin," Willow started, glancing over at her mentor. "Thank you for making me see them. If you hadn't…"

"By the time you did it on your own, it would have been too late, especially with your father," Anakin finished. The witch nodded. "I'm glad you were able to reconnect…"

"It's nice that someone can reconnect with their father," an acidic voice said from above them. Willow and Anakin stopped and looked up, seeing Joyce perched in an overhanging branch of a nearby tree. The young half-slayer looked pointedly at Willow. "Wouldn't you agree, Traya?"

Willow sighed. "You know, Joyce…I've tried talking to you. I've tried co-existing with you. I've even gone so far as to ignore you. But this ends now."

Joyce snarled as she leapt down from the tree, her hand on her lightsaber hilt even as she landed. "You wanna go, old woman?"

"Willow…"

"It's okay, Anakin," she interrupted, her eyes never leaving the angry young woman before her. "This won't take long. Yes, Joyce, I gave the orders that killed your father. I gave the orders that killed a lot of fathers. I'm sorry for it. I apologize for it. But you can only blame me for so long before it becomes less about the death of your father and more about the crappy childhood you had - not because of what I did, but because of the choices _you_ made. _You_ ran away, _you_ joined the Mandalorians, _you_ became a bitter, resentful warrior. Would you have if your father was still here? Probably not. But in all likelihood, your father would have been killed by the Emperor's men anyways for just being the kind of person he was - a good, freedom-loving person. So while you're thinking about that, get the hell off my back." Without further comment, Willow turned and walked calmly back up to he house, leaving the fuming girl and her astonished mentor behind.

* * *

Slowly, ever so slowly, Buffy returned to consciousness - and then wished she hadn't. Even in her groggy state she could feel the effects of the Force-suppressing drugs in her system, could feel the restraints cutting into her wrists and ankles that bound her to the cold, hard table that was propped up in the corner of the cold, dark cell. And as her vision returned to her, she could instantly recognize the black-clad figure before her. 

"Oh, great. The great would-be Master, Jorus C'baoth."

Vader smiled sinisterly at the bound Jedi. "Master Skywalker-Summers, I missed you. It's been so long since we've talked, hasn't it? I must say you aged gracefully."

"I eat right, exercise, say my prayers and take my vitamins. To what do I owe this severe displeasure?"

Vader chuckled. "My dear Buffy… You haven't changed a bit. You never learned to respect your betters…"

"What exactly made you better?" Buffy shot back. "You had power? Big deal - so does Anakin. You named yourself a Master? Please. The Council only allowed it because your arrogance amused them." Her voice dropped to a stage whisper. "And just between you and me - a group of men that uptight needed all the amusement they could get."

"I named myself Master because they refused to do so," Vader snarled back. "They were jealous of my power…"

"No, they were embarrassed by your attitude, you no-talent hAAAAACK!" Buffy screamed as Vader let loose a powerful blast of Sith lightening, which only hurt worse as it passed through her and onto the metal table, electrifying the table briefly and doubling the damage.

"You want to talk about embarrassments? How about you? Buffy Summers-Skywalker, the poor little lost slave girl, who couldn't even pull herself together long enough to save Qui-Gon Jinn. The tough-as-nails would-be Jedi, who behind all of the stern and bravado is just a lost little slave girl, crying out for her lost family. I'd laugh if it wasn't so pathetic," Vader sneered. "Ah, what the heck. I'll laugh anyways!" Vader cackled, enjoying it even more as Buffy strained against her restraints. "That's it, Skywalker. Hate me! I'll fill you so far up with your hate and anger, you'll willingly follow us to the dark side! You will call me Master!"

"I hate your guts, Vader," Buffy scoffed. "But don't think for a moment that I'll give into the dark side because of it."

Vader smirked. "Well then, there's always plan B." Suddenly he let loose with another blast of lightening, soaking in her screams. "Scream for me, Buffy! Scream for the Dark Side!"

* * *

Leia paced nervously in her cell, her trepidation building as she felt the pain that Han, Buffy - and yes, even Lando - were feeling through the Force. Suddenly she heard the door open and spun around to face her new tormentor. 

"Senator Naberrie," Mara Jade said respectfully as she entered the room. "It's nice to finally meet you in person."

"We met once before," Leia countered, "But you were too busy getting beaten by Luke and Buffy to extend a proper greeting."

Mara smiled thinly. "Actually, it was that Mandalorian that gave me the most problems. The other two - not so much." She gestured to the hard bench. "Please, sit down. There's no need for this to get uncivilized."

Dubiously, the former Senator took her seat and Mara sat down across from her. "So, what now?" she asked after a moment.

"My name is Mara. The Emperor has entrusted me to certain…duties…which I carry out without bias or emotion. Interrogation is one of those duties." Mara considered her for a moment. "Now, I interrogate you," she replied bluntly. "I've been told, or rather encouraged, to make this a…_hard…_interrogation. I'm assuming you can imagine what this entails."

Leis swallowed, but her gaze never wavered. "I can guess."

"I'm supposed to ask about your connection to Skywalker, about the Rebel Alliance and especially about Master Skywalker's home. Personally, I have no interest in the first two, but the last one intrigues me very much."

"Why?"

Mara's eyes narrowed. "Because I have reason to believe that someone I'm most eager to meet currently resides there," she replied. "So here's the deal. You tell me what you know - and I'll promise to go easy on you. You understand, of course, that I'll have to do something, lest Lord Vader decides to interrogate you personally." The Hand leaned in. "I hear his interrogations can get very…_vigorous._" She leaned forward, her steely eyes fixed on Leia. Putting the Force behind her voice, she asked once more, "So what's it going to be, Senator? Me? Or Vader?"

* * *

_Darth Vader walked out of the room, rubbing his hands against his chest. He smiled at the armored form of Lord Halcyon and his apprentice, Mara Jade._

_"Good evening, Hands. How goes the interrogations."_

_Mara scoffed. "You mean we're supposed to ask questions? I thought you just wanted to torture them. Send out ripples in the Force and all of that."_

_"And?"_

_"And we definitely have ripples," Mara smirked. "The Captain screams like a little bitch. At least the Senator could keep the proverbial stiff upper lip."_

_"Lord Vader, if I may…" Halcyon started. At Vader's nod, he continued. "If you have the lady Skywalker, why bother trying to capture Anakin's son?"_

_Vader shrugged. "Two Skylwalkers are better than one, maybe? I don't question our Lord's orders."_

_"Nor do I," Halcyon shot back._

_"Have you discovered a method of transporting the boy?"_

_"This facility has a crude Carbonite freezing chamber," Halcyon replied. "The director was most…helpful at describing it to me during our session."_

_Vader sneered. "Foolish, weak man. He thought he could buy the Emperor's favor by cooperating. He must be taught that the Empire is not to be denied anything." Vader paused to consider for a moment. "I want to test this chamber, to make sure it is suitable for young Luke. Bring the Captain down to the chamber. We will test it on him first."_

_"And his friends?" Mara asked. Vader's sneer became more pronounced._

_"Bring them as well. We shall all watch Solo freeze. After that, all of them are to be executed in the man courtyard. Including Calrissian."_

_"As you wish," the two Hands replied, bowing in respect._

Joyce shot up in her bed, sweat rolling down her neck. The nightmare (no, vision; she was sure of it), was still vivid in her mind.

_Mom…Han…oh, __Haar'chak!_

Reaching a decision, Joyce pulled herself out of the bed, silently dressing herself in her Mandalorian armor. Donning her helmet she stealthily made her way out of her room- 

And ran straight into Obi-Wan.

"And where do you think you're going?" the Jedi Master asked sternly, his arms crossed in front of him.

"Mom and Han are in danger," she replied immediately. "I'm going to help."

"And what do you think you can do against a Sith Lord and two of the Emperor's Hands?"

"Whatever I have to," Joyce's cold voice answered back. Obi-Wan shook his head in frustration.

"No. No, Joyce. You cannot go. You're too close to-" Obi-Wan started, but before he could finish, Joyce reared back and landed a solid head-butt on the Jedi Master, dropping him instantly. Moving quickly, she stepped around her fallen Master and grabbed her weapons, securing them on herself as she moved out of the house and towards the hangar. Once she arrived, though, she got a very unpleasant surprise.

"YOU!"

Willow smirked from the co-pilot's chair. She was already suited up and strapped in.

"You honestly didn't think I'd miss that disturbance, did you?"

"Get out."

Willow shook her head. "Look. Anakin's in an enchanted sleep that will last about another, oh..." she looked at her watch, "Fifteen minutes. Lord knows how long Ben will be out with whatever you did to him to get past him. You are going up against a Sith Lord and his two highly trained henchmen, in what is most obviously a trap. So whether you like it or not, you need me on this."

Joyce scoffed. "Why would the Sith try to trap me? They don't even know about me."

The redheaded witch rolled her eyes. "You are so much like your mother sometimes…incredibly dense in the face of all of the facts…"

"My mother is not dense!" the young Mandalorian shot back hotly.

"I was her best friend and when I became a Sith Lord she didn't even notice. Look - they took time, not only to torture Han, but Leia and Buffy as well. Now who else in this universe is connected in some way to all three of them?"

It took a moment, but the answer finally came to her. "Luke."

Willow nodded. "Exactly. The Emperor knows about Luke now and he wants him. Vader wants Buffy because of the past animosity they share - Buffy never respected or looked up to C'baoth in any way, shape, or form and he's looking to change that."

"So he has them all tortured, which sends out ripples in the Force…"

"Which gets picked up by the only Jedi they know for sure is still in this galaxy - Luke. He'll surely be on his way - if not now, then within the next few hours."

"But they don't know about us. We can take them by surprise…"

"It's gonna take a lot of luck and all the skills you have learned," Willow pointed out. "I won't lie to you. I have an agenda here - I mean to have a nice little chat with my wayward daughter. But you and Luke are going to have to hit them hard and fast - and that's even if we arrive at the same time."

Joyce looked hard at her nemesis. "What does the Force tell you?"

Willow closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, then frowned. "The Force is cloudy - more cloudy than it should be. There are other variables at work here - variables that I can't yet see." She opened her eyes and looked at Joyce. "Well? Are we going to go, or not?"

Joyce scowled behind her helmet and then reluctantly climbed aboard Prometheus. "Fine. Let's go."

* * *

"Luke, you must not go!" 

The past few months on Dagobah had been a real eye opener for the young Jedi-in-training. Learning from Master Yoda - someone both his father and Aunt had told him so much about - had been both a pleasure and a challenge and a path that he wished he could continue to follow. But that was before the vision of his sister, his Aunt, his friend - all suffering in a city in the clouds.

"But they'll all die if I don't."

"You don't know that," Qui-Gon said, his ghostly form appearing between the diminutive Jedi Master and Padmé. "Even Yoda cannot see their fate."

"I can help them!" Luke insisted. Padmé shook her head

"You're not ready yet," his mother said softly. "You still have much to learn."

"I feel the Force," Luke said.

"But you cannot control it," Qui-Gon countered. "This is a dangerous stage for you, Luke. You are now most susceptible to the temptations of the dark side."

"Yes, yes," Yoda added. "To Qui-Gon you listen, young one. The cave. Remember your failure at the cave!"

Luke remembered the experience at the Cave, a place so full of the Dark Side that it showed you your worst fears. In that cave he had faced the tall, menacing figure, cloaked in black and face obscured under shadows. It wasn't until he struck the figure down in anger that the face was revealed - to be his own. Luke shook his head in frustration. "I've learned much since then. And I'll return to finish. I promise that, master."

"It is your abilities the Emperor wants," Qui-Gon told him gravely. "That is why your friends were made to suffer."

"And that," Luke said, "is why I must go."

"Luke, your father and I sacrificed so much to keep you away from him," Padmé said sadly. "I don't want to lose you to him now."

"You won't."

"Only a fully trained Jedi Knight, with the Force as his ally, will conquer the Emperor and his agents," Qui-Gon emphasized. "If you end your training now, if you choose the quick and easy path, you will become an agent of evil and the galaxy will be plunged deeper into the abyss of hate and despair."

"Stopped they must be," Yoda interjected. "On this all depends."

"Patience!" Qui-Gon emphasized. Luke shook his head

"And sacrifice my family?" the youth asked incredulously.

"If you honor what they fight for," Yoda said, pausing for a moment, "... yes!"

"I cannot help you, Luke," the Qui-Gon said. "If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. I cannot interfere."

"I understand," Luke replied calmly. Then, turning to his droid, he said, "Artoo, fire up the power converters."

Artoo whistled, powering up Luke's X-Wing once more. Luke climbed up the ladder into the cockpit, which folded back into the ship as he sat down.

"Luke," Qui-Gon advised "Don't give in to hate or anger. They lead to the dark side."

Yoda looked worriedly at his apprentice. "Strong is Vader," he warned ominously. "Mind what you have learned. Save you, it can!"

"I will, Master Yoda," Luke assured him. "I will. And I'll be back, I promise." Artoo closed the cockpit and Luke started the engines.

Yoda, Padmé and the ghost of Qui-Gon watched as the sleek craft lifted effortlessly from the ground and angled up to the heavens. "Told you, I did," Yoda said sorrowfully, "Reckless is he. Now things are worse."

"That boy is the future of the Order," Qui-Gon noted sadly.

"Perhaps," Padmé noted sadly. "But he's not alone."

* * *

Dawn moved hurriedly around her room, laying out various pieces of equipment. Her lightstaff, her sister's blaster, a small vibroblade and her normal black-ops outfit - along with lock-picks, a small computer splicer… all tools of the trade that both her sister and Willow had taught her to use during her training. After all - she wasn't your average Jedi, so she certainly wasn't going to be trained like one. Silently she stripped and once more donned her black outfit, slipping on the vest and quickly setting each piece of equipment in its place. A soft knock turned her attention to her door as Zett quickly walked in, PPG in hand. He started to hand it over to her and then hesitated. 

"You know what it means if you take it, don't you?" he asked her, a worried frown on his face. Dawn sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I do." She quickly snatched the portal device from her boyfriend's hand. She gave it a cursory glance to make sure the destination was correct, then leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Well, it's been fun."

Zett smiled sadly. "I'll walk you to the embarkation room."

The two walked in silence the short distance to the embarkation room - the one room where portals could be opened, thanks to the wards. A thought suddenly struck Dawn and she looked over to Zett.

"Did the Coven get the wards back up?"

Zett nodded. "All new and improved, from what Tara told me."

Dawn nodded and they continued until they finally reached the room- where Dawn found a surprise waiting for her.

"You didn't think we'd let you go off alone to rescue Buffy, did you, Bit?" Spike asked as he casually leaned against Fred's desk. The desk's owner was dressed for business - combat pants and shirt and a tactical vest laden down with equipment. Around them was the rest of Angel's crew - Gunn, Cordy, Wesley and Angel himself. The Master vampire smirked at Dawn's stunned expression.

"Especially as we weren't allowed to go last time."

"I can't use the Watcher's Council to cover for you, as I'm not authorized as a Senior Watcher," Wesley noted, checking the ammo in his two .45's. He smiled wanly at the girl. "The price for working for a vampire, I'm afraid."

Dawn shook her head. "You guys…you don't know what you're getting into…"

"And you're not going without us," Fred stated. "You'll need our help getting past any guards-" she held up a metal briefcase, "and you'll need a quick getaway, which I can give you."

"Here's the plan," Gunn said, shifting his homemade axe in his hands, "we take out the goons, you take out the Sith, Fred and Cordy pimp out the _Falcon_…"

"Easy as pie," Cordy finished. "Which you'll owe me when we get back."

Dawn looked helplessly to Zett, who merely shrugged. "Fred wouldn't give me the PPG unless Angel and his team went with you. And face it - you'll need back up."

Dawn smiled slightly, then moved in and gave Zett a long, deep kiss. Her smile broadened when she pulled back and saw the goofy expression on his face. "Thank you," she said silently, moving into the center of the room. Angel's crew surrounded her, making sure to have at least one hand on her shoulders or arms. "We'll be back before you know it."

"May the Force be with you, my love," he said as she activated the device. A cloud of purple and white energy blossomed around the group, which was sucked through the portal towards destiny.

* * *

_There were bars, there were dives, and then there were seedy dumps like this place_. Wedge thought to himself as he strolled through the door to the bar, deep in the underbelly of Coronet. Spying who he was looking for, Wedge made a beeline to the table set in the darkened corner of the bar. 

"Fancy meeting you here," he said as he slid into the chair across from the man.

Talon Karrde smiled. As always he was immaculately dressed, though his long black hair flowed loosely over his shoulders. He lifted his glass in a mock salute. "I always did appreciate the finer places in life."

"Jorj pays hat badly, huh?"

"Jorj isn't running the show anymore."

Wedge sat back in his chair and stared at the smuggler before him. "Should I be offering my congratulations, or my condolences?"

Karrde chuckled."Nothing like that, Captain. Jorj merely went legit."

"Condolences, then," Wedge quipped. Karrde laughed softly as he sipped his drink. "But I'm sure you didn't contact us to let us know about the reorganization of your organization."

"No, of course not," Karrde replied, putting down his drink and folding his hands in front of him. "And I didn't try to get in touch with the Alliance - I got in touch with you."

Wedge's eyes narrowed. "What could you possibly want with me?" he asked bluntly.

"Absolutely nothing," Karrde replied, spreading his hands wide across the table. "I mean you no harm; this is no trap. This is merely a business move for me. You see - a few years ago, I got some information for a mutual acquaintance and she's become a bit - shall we say - obsessed?"

"So you're who gave Joyce the info on Fett," Wedge ground out. Karrde nodded.

"I had no idea he significance of the intell I gave her until I met with an irate parent about a year later. You see - the parent's company are very good clients of mine and I like to keep my clients happy. Which made the reason I called you here that much more urgent."

"And what's that?" Wedge asked. Karrde steeped his hands once more as he leaned across the table.

"A few weeks ago, Lord Vader hired several bounty hunters to find the _Millennium Falcon_. From what my sources gathered, one succeeded. And now there's a big Imp exercise going on, right now, at Cloud City - and Boba Fett himself is said to be there." Karrde leaned back once more. "I have reason to believe the mother has been captured. And considering who the daughter is…"

"She'll go to her mom's aid, danger be dammed. Stang!" Wedge looked to Karrde. "What do I owe you?"

Talon smiled."On the house, in anticipation for future business." His smile faded as he leaned in once more. "Just bring them home. I'm rather fond of them."

Wedge smiled grimly as he rose. "So am I," he replied as he turned and walked out of the bar. Once outside, he activated his comlink. "Janson? This is Wedge. Get the guys together- we've got an off-the-book mission…

**TBC…**

Next chapter - It all hits the fan! Fett vs. Joyce! Mara vs. Willow! Angel and Co. vs. Stormtroopers! Luke vs. Halcyon! Dawn vs. Vader-and what will Obi-Wan and Anakin do when they wake up? Tune in next time to find out!

_Haar'chak: Mado for Damnit!_


	8. Chapter 8: Trials of the Empire

**Disclaimer- I own nothing. Even the semi-original characters belong to Joss and George. **

**Episode 5 Chapter 8**

**Trials of the Empire**

* * *

"My Lord," an Imperial officer stated as he came up to the dark triumvirate, "We have a small craft approaching - X-Wing class."

"Good," Vader said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He looked over to Halcyon and gave him a wicked smile. "Think you can handle him?"

Halcyon bristled. "I can more than handle him…"

"My mother's coming," Mara said suddenly, a look of intense concentration on her face. "I can feel her coming closer…"

Vader reached out in the Force and then whirled to the officer. "Were there anymore ships?"

"No, sir," the officer said nervously. Vader growled and was about to snap his neck when Halcyon stepped in.

"Buffy once had a small craft with a functioning cloaking device," he remarked. "It's possible that she passed it onto her friend."

"Don't worry, I'll deal with her," Mara said, already heading towards the atrium. Vader turned to Halcyon.

"Something else is coming; something elusive, that even I can't see. I'm going to move Skywalker to my ship. Take care of the young one."

"As you wish."

* * *

"Coming in for a landing," Joyce announced, prepping the _Prometheus _as she lined up with the nearest landing pad. "I've spotted the Falcon - she's about three pads over. No security present. Maybe they haven't been captured yet."

"Or they have and the Empire didn't feel the ship warranted any more security," Willow countered. Suddenly she smirked. "My daughter is anxious to meet me."

"How anxious?" Joyce asked.

"You two would get a long wonderfully."

The small fighter touched down silently, still cloaked. "Alright then. You go after your wayward daughter and I'll go after mom and Han. We'll meet back at the _Falcon_. Clear?"

"Crystal," Willow replied, hopping out of the cockpit."Let's go to work."

* * *

With a flash of light a sound, the Council strike team appeared in a large, and thankfully empty, room of Cloud City. Dawn paused for a moment to reach out and feel for her sister, which she did - and instantly she was worried.

"She's very angry," she told the others, "and very sad. Something bad just happened and her hate is nearly overwhelming. She's slipping…"

"Then you go catch her," Angel said, turning to Fred, who was busy hacking into the city's computer. "What's the news?"

"Full lockdown in effect," she replied. "No traffic in or out, but the city itself isn't locked. Buffy's being transferred to Vader's personal Star Destroyer - here, Dawn," she called the young Jedi over to her as she downloaded a set of schematics into a portable data reader. "Here's the route he'll probably take."

"Anything else?"

Fred continued o read and suddenly her face lost all color. "What?" Dawn asked.

"Han Solo is now in the custody of Boba Fett - and he's been frozen in something called Carbonite. Everyone else is scheduled to be executed in the central square in the next few minutes, as an object lesson in what happens when you defy the Empire."

Dawn swore silently to herself. "Fine. Fred, Cordy - head to the _Falcon _and unpack your surprise. Angel, you and the rest of your team rescue them," she said, indicating the soon to be executed people. "I'll go after Buffy."

"You sure you can do it alone?" Angel asked. Dawn looked back with a grim smile.

"I'll be fine. Now let's move!"

* * *

Leia sighed to herself. _This doesn't look good, _she thought as she was led with Lando and Chewie, who still carried the partially reconstructed Threepio on his back, to the city's center square. A large, open area filled with shops and eateries and covered by a large transparistel dome, the city's center for internal commerce would look warm and open on a sunny day. As it was, the rain beat down incessantly on the dome, making the square look dark and oppressive. The three were forced to stop in the center of the open area and were pushed to their knees violently. Chewbacca roared at the mistreatment and despite his bindings the storm troopers leapt back a few feet.

"Look, Princess… I'm sorry about all of this…" Lando started, causing Leia to snort in disgust.

"What, for turning us over? Or for getting caught with us anyway?"

"I was doing what I thought I had to, to protect this city and the hundreds of people living here!" he argued. "I had no choice!"

"Sometimes we all have to make a choice, between what is right and what is easy." Leia quoted, thinking of something her Aunt had told her once. She never asked where she heard that from and now, she would never have the chance. Leia felt her Aunt slipping further and further into the darkness with growing despair.

An officer, young and with a look of supreme arrogance, stepped forward. "You have been charged with treason against the Empire and found guilty by your superiors," he said importantly, playing to the growing crowd. "As such, the Empire has seized this city and you three will be put to death, immediately. If you would like to plead for clemency, you may do so at this time."

"You and your Emperor can both kiss my ass," Leia snarled, channeling her Aunt. "How's that for a plea?"

The officer sneered. "Well, if that is how you want to be, then so be it. Let this be a lesson," he added, raising his voice for all to hear, "to those that would defy the will of the Emperor!" The officer drew his blaster and placed the barrel flush against the rebel leader's forehead.

A moment later there was a deafening crack and the blood started to flow…

* * *

Luke cautiously made his was through the labyrinth of hallways that made up Cloud City, Artoo following close behind. He was feeling a familiar presence through the Force, one he hadn't felt for some time and couldn't quite place. Moving against the wall, Luke stopped at a crossroads and looked cautiously around the corner.

It was a small sitting area, nestled between four interconnecting hallway. A decorative fountain stood in the center, surrounded by plush benches. And standing right in front of the fountain with her magenta lightsaber already ignited was none other than the Emperor's Hand Mara Jade.

"Hey, Farm boy!" Mara called out jovially. "Long time, no see!"

Luke sighed and, screwing up his determination, stepped around the corner and upholstered his own lightsaber. "Mara," he replied, nodding slightly with respect. "I don't suppose you want to let me pass, do you?"

"Well, technically I'm supposed to," Mara grinned. "But I've always had a problem doing what I was told…"

I feel I should warn you- I've been practicing." Luke ignited his blue blade. "Please, I don't want to fight you."

Mara rolled her eyes. "Typical Jedi. Look, you want to get past me? You got to go through m-" Mara was cut off as she suddenly flew backwards, crashing through the fountain before impacting hard against the far wall. She slumped to the floor in a daze, her lightsaber rolling out and away from her limp hand.

Luke spun, his lightsaber ready, but lowered it slightly as he saw who it was.

"Run along, now," the voice said from the shadows. "The Hand and I need to have a little chat." Luke nodded and took off down the corridor, past the fallen soldier and towards his family. Mara, on the other hand, finally caught sight of the voice's owner as she stepped out of the shadows.

"YOU!" Mara snarled.

Willow smiled benignly. "Yes, me. Now, how about you come and give your mother a kiss?"

With a shriek of rage, Mara called her lightsaber to her even as she leapt, using the Force to clear the wrecked fountain in one easy leap. Willow stood on the other side, her hands clasped behind her back and staring on in utter calm as Mara's lightsaber swept for her throat…

* * *

Boba Fett checked the crono on his wrist for the seventh time and frowned underneath his helmet. He was running ahead of schedule - the pace he was going, he'd be paid in little under a week. But a feeling had been nagging at the fringes of his conscience ever since Solo had been put on ice-a feeling that had been growing steadily for the last few minutes.

"Where do you want this?" one of the Imperial officers asked as they made their way onto the landing pad where _Slave I _rested. Boba hit a control on his arm and the elaborate set of security measures on his ship deactivated, even as the rear hatch opened.

"Put Captain Solo in the cargo hold," he said as he swept the area for anything out of the ordinary. The two officers nodded in understanding-

And were, just as quickly, picked off by a high-powered blaster.

Boba ducked and rolled, coming up two feet from where he started facing the door, where another Mandalorian stood in familiar red and silver armor, a DL-44 blaster in her hand.

"Hello, Sprite," Boba said casually, never lowering his rifle, "hear you've been looking for me. Must not have been looking hard - it wasn't like I was trying to disappear."

"Ever the joker," Joyce replied coldly. "Any last jokes before I send you to meet your ancestors?"

"Any particular reason you want me dead?" Boba nodded towards the frozen form of her brother, still hovering over the deck even as the wind and rain lashed at it. "Besides the obvious, of course."

"You killed my father."

"Oh, that." Boba shrugged. "Nothing personal. It was just a job. Kind of like this is just a job. And you know that I always finish my jobs, Sprite."

"Just as you know that I won't let you take my brother." Joyce dropped the blaster, unclipping her lightsaber. She held it in her hand for a moment, feeling its weight. "I promised my mom that I would never use this in anger," she said casually. "So I won't." She tossed the lightsaber aside. "The only weapon I'm going to use to kill you are my own, bare hands!" With a swiftness that startled even a veteran like Boba, Joyce leapt towards him, arms outstretched.

Without even thinking, Boba Fett fired.

* * *

"You know, you shouldn't fight this, Buffy," Vader said nonchalantly as he led the former slayer down the hall, "It's all a matter of inevitability."

Buffy's resistance had flagged in the past few hours - between the shock therapy and the constant mental assaults, Buffy was a wreck. She had barely made an effort to defend herself when Vader had attached one of the hated slave collars around her neck once more - even more degrading, this one came with a leash that he was now using to guide her towards his waiting shuttle.

"It was inevitable that our paths would cross again, my young Jedi! It was inevitable that you would bow to my will, bow before my power…"

"How about I take a bow and you kiss my ass?" Buffy shot back, regretting it immediately as the collar activated and shocked her to the bones.

"Temper, temper, Skywalker," he snarled as he moved in close, his nose pressing against her own. "I will teach you respect before all is said and done; this I promise you." He spun and walked away, yanking hard on the leash and dragging her behind him. "You will be my greatest achievement, I think. Oh, yes. Together, we will overthrow the Emperor! And then, with your help, we shall pacify that upstart order of yours."

"Never," Buffy spat.

"Never say never, my young Jedi," Vader retorted. "They will obey us, or you will destroy them utterly. Your family, your so-called friends; all shall fall at your blade. You will bathe n their blood and you will revel in it. That is what it is to be Sith - letting go of all of those pesky concerns that shouldn't have bothered you in the first place." He led them down the hallway, at the end of which was a door that led to an outside walkway. Vader scowled, but nothing was to be done about it. In order to thoroughly hide his shuttle, he had deliberately set down in an out-of-the-way area that saw very little traffic and was exceedingly difficult to get to. As such, he would be required to walk through the rain-soaked outer passage for several meters before reaching his small shuttle. "We will accomplish many great things, my apprentice. Oh, yes. They will memorialize our names in songs for generations to come…"

With a gesture the door before them slid open. Vader stepped out onto the deck and came to an instant stop, causing Buffy to crash into him. She looked over his shoulder and gasped at what she saw.

Not two meters away, her Padawan braid blowing wildly in the air, stood Dawn. The fact that she was thoroughly soaked didn't seem to bother her. She stood calmly, her lightstaff held deactivated in her hand, a small smirk on her lips.

"Get the hell away from my sister, C'Bitch."

* * *

Luke was lost.

There was nothing for it. Every turn, every corner, every door led him farther away from his sister and deeper into the bowels of Cloud City. The last turn had led him down a walkway that surrounded a large, raised dais, above which was supported a crane. The sound of steam and machinery echoed across the cavernous walls. Cautiously he made his way down towards the dais, stopping at the top of the steep, metal stairs that led down to it.

"The Force is strong with you, young Skywalker," a mechanical voice intoned. Luke spun to face Nejaa Halcyon, his black Sith armor gleaming in the minimal light. "But you are not a Jedi yet."

Luke activated his lightsaber and raised it into a defensive posture. "Maybe not yet, but I think you'll find I'm full of surprises."

With a snarl, Halcyon activated his own ruby blade and leapt at the young Jedi and the fight was joined.

* * *

Leia could feel the blood dripping down her face and instantly knew two things. First, she wasn't dead. And secondly-

It wasn't her blood.

The gun dropped away from her forehead and Leia gasped at the large hole in the Imperial Officer's chest. The officer looked down in hock, as if he couldn't believe that someone could harm a person in his station…

"I'm sorry," a distinguished voice said from the shadows, "But today's execution has been canceled due to lack of interest. On our parts, anyway." Wesley stepped out of the shadows and opened fire taking down one of the Storm Troopers and causing the rest to scatter. With a snarl, Spike joined the fray, leaping over Leia and swinging his sword hard. The blow decapitated the officer and then continued to slice open on trooper from shoulder to hip. Leia found herself knocked to the ground by Lando as Angel and Gunn joined the fray, swinging their weapons and dispatching the Storm Troopers with relative ease.

"Princess Nabberie?" Wesley asked helping up the stunned Leia, "I'm Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, a friend of your Aunt's. We've come to rescue you…" his voice trailed as another familiar sound reached his ears - the sound of a lightsaber. Looking around, he spied the last person he had expected to see-

Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Hello, there!" he called out as he finished off the Storm Troopers. "Am I interrupting?"

Chewie growled in happiness even as Leia rushed over to give the old Jedi a hug. "Master Kenobi! Oh, it's so good to see you!"

"No offense to the help," Angel put in, "but aren't you supposed to be with Anakin teaching Joyce and Willow? Or did the inevitable finally happen?"

"A bit of the latter, actually. Though not in the way you'd expect. Both felt a tremor in the Force and rushed here to investigate. We simply followed."

"What now?" Lando asked, keeping a fair distance from Chewie as Spike freed him of his restraints. "If you want to save Han, there may still be a chance. Fett's parked on the East platform…"

"Fred and Cordy are rigging the _Falcon _with a surprise," Angel added.

"We'll head there after we rescue Han." She turned and pointed her finger hard into Lando's chest, "Give the evac code. The Empire will probably blast this City out of the sky now that we've escaped." She turned to the others as Lando ran over to a nearby wall and keyed in a series of codes. "We'll have to move fast to save Han from Fett," she stated as the alarm started blaring throughout the city. "So move fast, stop for no one and shoot first. Let's go!"

"My kind of lady," Spike noted dryly.

"Sadly enough, she gets that from her mother," Obi-Wan noted fondly as he joined the others.

* * *

Fett's first, and only, two shots ricocheted off of Joyce's armor, but they didn't even slow her down. Fueled by nearly twenty years of rage, the girl forgot all of her Jedi training and instead let the Slayer take over. She collided with the bounty hunter violently, slapping the blaster rifle out of his hands and over the edge of the platform, where it fell through the gaseous clouds of the planet, far out of reach. One, two, three right crosses landed on his helmeted face, actually doing something Fett had long through impossible - actually breaking the helmet's visor. Shattered pieces of the visors plastic rained down on his face and Fett had to squeeze his eyes shut to avoid getting any in his eyes. Wildly he landed several blows to her chest and face, but Joyce shrugged them off, instead climbing to her feet and dragging him along with her. Using her own slayer strength, Joyce hefted Fett and swung him in a 360 degree arc before letting him fly into the hull of his ship. The impact damaged his jetpack and with a snarl he hit the emergency release clips, letting it fall from his shoulders. Thinking quickly, he grasped the pack and threw it towards Joyce, then activated his wrist-mounted flame thrower, causing the fuel and munitions stored on the pack to explode violently and knocking the girl back.

Fett Started to climb into his ship, looking back to the still floating slab the held Solo and cursed. Knowing he couldn't leave a bounty this easy behind, he started towards the block of carbonite-

Only to reel back as Joyce's helmet, still smoking, hit him solidly in his now-exposed face.

With an inarticulate cry, Joyce leapt towards him again, raining down blows. But she was still young and acting on anger; Fett was a veteran, who had been fighting for nearly forty years. After getting over the shock of the ferocity of her attack, Fett started to easily block her attacks, turning her strength back against her. Soon, he was blocking all of her blows, until he finally managed to seize her in a bear hug.

"I don't want to have to kill you, Sprite!" Fett growled in her ear as she struggled to free herself. "Give it up!"

"Never!" she shouted, kicking backwards and hitting Fett in a rather sensitive area. Fett dropped to the ground, moaning in pain. Joyce knocked him onto his back and straddled him, pulling out her combat knife and holding it to his throat.

"I want to know," she panted, "Why… why you took me in. Surely you must have known who I was, who my family was! So why? Was it a game? Some sick, twisted joke? TELL ME!"

Fett looked her dead in the eye. "Because it's the Mandalorian way."

"Like you give a flying fuck about the Mandalorian way!"

"It's true, I don't," he admitted. "I'm not a very good Mandalore. But your mother made me an orphan, just as I made you one. I knew what you were going to go through, because I went through it, too. And that didn't set right with me." With a swiftness that surprised even Joyce, Fett withdrew a small dagger and buried it in her side.

She gasped as she felt him twist the dagger, then felt the blood rush out of the now gaping wound. With a strangled cry she toppled over onto the soaked pad, grasping at the wound and trying to staunch the flow of blood even as Fett rose to his feet.

"Kind of like this doesn't set right." He wiped the blood off the dagger onto his pants leg and then slipped it back into its hidden holster. "Sorry, Sprite. You lose."

* * *

Luke's fight with Nejaa Halcyon had led him all throughout the bowels of the city and he was worse for the wear. From getting knocked down the stairs at the freezing chamber, to being battered by Force-flung cases and blasted through a window, he had taken a tremendous beating.

"You think you can defeat ME!" Halcyon roared, battering Luke down a catwalk that dead-ended in an atmosphere processor. Luke triad vainly to defend himself, blocking the powerful down strokes of the Sith's blade, but was quickly tiring. Finally the inevitable happened and he was knocked down, and scrambled back as Halcyon's blade hovered just under his chin.

"Revenge is sweet," the Sith gloated. "Nearly twenty years I've waited to revenge my self upon the Skywalker family and now, Finally, I have my chance…"

"Not yet, you don't!" Luke exclaimed, batting away Halcyon's blade and scrambling to his feet. He exchanged a few quick blows, finally managing to land a hit on his armored shoulder. Nejaa roared, more over the fact that Luke had struck a blow than over any pain he was feeling and renewed his attack with vigor, driving Luke to the end of the walkway, forcing away his blue blade-

Then slicing his hand off cleanly at the wrist.

Luke howled in pain and stumbled backwards, grasping the stump of his arm in his one good hand. He took a moment to evaluate his situation and it wasn't good. His lightsaber was gone, lost to the depth of Cloud City. He had lost a hand, though thankfully the wound hat cauterized, so blood loss wasn't a factor. Not that it mattered - in a minute, Halcyon would finally avenge his family by killing him…"

"That's ENOUGH, Nejaa!"

Luke gasped and Halcyon spun around. Standing only a few feet away was his most hated nemesis, Anakin Skywalker.

"Well, well. The prodigal Jedi returns," Halcyon sneered, advancing. His red blade hummed threateningly in the cavernous space. "How fitting you were here to witness this. You took my hand, Anakin and so I took your son's. But that wasn't all you took from me, was it? My other arm? My legs? My FAMILY!"

"Nejaa, you're an idiot," Anakin stated boldly. "You want to punish me for what I did to you? Fine. But I never touched your family. Neither did Willow! They even managed to survive the Corellian culling all those years ago! But you never checked, did you?" he needled, moving closer. "You never looked, not really. Why? Because you didn't want them to see what I did to you? Or because you didn't want them to see what you let yourself become?"

With an inarticulate roar, Nejaa charged Anakin, whose own lightsaber snapped to life instantly.

"You always had a temper, Nejaa," Anakin taunted." Worse than my own, sometimes!"

"And you were always an arrogant snot!" Nejaa shot back, trying desperately to land the killing blow. He growled in aggravation at the ease in which Anakin was parrying his blows. "Now stand still and die!"

"Don't hold back, Hal. Tell me how you really feel."

"You took them from me!"

Anakin sighed and used the Force to push Halcyon away. "Weren't you listening to me? They're alive! Hell, you even got a grandson in the CSF now!"

"I knew that!" Nejaa panted as he rose unsteadily to his feet. "But you took them from me when you turned me into this thing!" The amount o hatred and self-loathing in his voice shocked Anakin. "Why couldn't you have just killed me, with the rest of our brothers and sisters? Why didn't you end it, instead of leaving me, burning, bleeding, begging for help WHY!"

"There's not a day that goes by," Anakin said in a pained voice, "that I don't regret what happened that day. I stood there, helpless, while one of our greatest masters was blown out of the Chancellor's office by Palpatine. I was watching everything, locked in my own mind, when I led the attack on the Temple with Traya. When her control was finally broken on Mustafar, I was going to leap into the river of lava because of what I had done! But I managed to come back, Nejaa. So could you."

"What?" the Sith asked, dumbstruck.

"I'm giving you a choice here today, Master Halcyon," Anakin stated. "You can lay down your lightsaber, renounce the Dark Side and come with us, back to where we've been. We can help you, Nejaa, I know we can. Or we can continue to fight and I can beat you." He deactivated his lightsaber and held his arms open wide. "Choose, Nejaa."

For a moment, just a moment, Anakin thought he very might well consider it. But the moment passed quickly as he felt Nejaa gather the Force around himself.

"How about a third choice!" he snarled, throwing his lightsaber like a javelin towards Anakin, even as he spun towards Luke. Anakin deftly ignited his blade and batted aside the Sith's saber, but watched in horror as Nejaa Force-pushed Luke off the catwalk into the open metallic cavern below. Not even pausing to think about it, Anakin leapt over the railing and followed his son down.

Nejaa stared over the railing at the two shrinking figures, before turning and dejectedly walking back into the City.

* * *

Mara's lightsaber got very close. But never close enough.

The truly maddening thing, though was the fact that Willow hadn't even activated her blade; indeed, she hadn't even unclasped her hands from behind her back. Instead she used the Force to dodge each blow, slipping deftly out of the way each time the blade came close

"Damn it, stand still or fight me!" Mara shouted. Willow spun out of the way and in an instant had her own lightsaber in her hand. She had built a new one and while it still retained the curved hilt she had grown accustomed to during her Sith Lord days, the jewel had been replaced with the purple crystal from Mace Windu's lightsaber. It had been a gift of sorts from Buffy, who had given it to her as a way to redeem herself if she ever had the need to draw her weapon. The purple blade snapped to life and she easily blocked her daughter's return blow.

"Sweetie, you have a lot of power and a very nice form. At least, I think you would if you wouldn't let your anger control you," she said conversationally as she single-handedly blocked Mara's continuing attacks. "But my form is better, my trainer was above peer and quite frankly you just can't beat me." Mara continued to rain down blows that Willow blocked with ease. The Hand brought her blade down hard, trying to force Willow's down and away to land a killing stroke. Willow stared at her sadly, a small smile playing over her lips. "Like I said, you're good." Suddenly Willow pushed her blade forward slightly, nicking Mara's arm. Mara gasped in shock in pain and her hand went momentarily numb, causing the lightsaber to drop out of her unresponsive hand. In the same stroke Willow reversed and cut lightly across Mara's quad, causing the young Hand to collapse to the ground in pain. "I'm better."

Willow deactivated her saber and placed it back on her belt, calling Mara's to her and stashing it inside her jacket. She then stepped over her daughter and turned to face her, sitting down on one of the plush benches. "Now, perhaps we can have the mother-daughter bonding thing I've heard so much about. So, any boys in your life"

Mara looked up at the woman incredulously. "What?"

"No boy then, huh? How about a girl? I'm not judgmental, you know. I was once in love with a very beautiful blonde…"

"What the hell are you on about, woman?" Mara shouted. "You betray your order, you betray your Master, you abandon me and you have the gall to come here and decide to have a sit down with me? How dare you!"

"Tell me, daughter; what upsets you more? The first two or the last one? Because let me make one thing plain." She leaned in close to her fallen daughter, "Up until a few months ago, I didn't even know you existed. My Master that I betrayed took my own genetic material without my knowledge and used it to create you. This is the same master, by the way, that promised me the power to go home, only to then turn me into his own personal magic weapon. Something that he's been trying to do with you, isn't it?" Mara remained silent, but her eyes revealed the truth. "Ah, yes. He has been trying to get you to tap into your gift, hasn't he? And you could, if you wanted. I can feel the power in you right now, but you've never really used it."

"I have used it…"

"You've dabbled. And you could do so much more, but you haven't. Why, I wonder?"

"Because I don't need magic to be better than you!" she spat.

"Or, you don't want to be the weapon they're training you to be," Willow reasoned. "I'm not a fool, Mara. When Palpatine first told me his ideals for the Empire, I was as enthralled as you probably were. But the Empire has been perverted into something it shouldn't have been. I helped to start that; you have helped continue it. But you don't have to."

"Is this where you offer to train me?" Mara sneered. Willow chuckled and shook her head as she rose from the seat.

"No, not at all. This is merely where I ask you to think about what you've done, what you are doing and what you will do. And then I ask you to decide if it's your Master you should be serving or your Empire. And which one is worth saving, in the end." Once more she stepped over the girl as she headed towards the exit. As she reached the entrance to the corridor, she stopped. "And believe me; if I had known you existed, I would have done everything in my power to take you back home with me," she said over her shoulder then continued down the hall, leaving the fuming, contemplative Mara behind.

* * *

Darth Vader took one look at the young girl before him and let out a short laugh. "What's this? A _Padawan_? Was this the best your Council could send against me?"

"Well actually, when they heard a Sith Lord had captured Buffy, they wanted to saddle up and rescue her themselves." Dawn stated, grinning. "But when they heard it was you, they figured they could just send me instead."

"You dare mock me?!"

"Please," Dawn replied boldly. "I'm Buffy's sister. I haven't _begun_ to mock you yet."

Vader smiled cruelly. "You know, I actually wanted to thank you. Seeing you die will be the thing that finally drives your sister to the Dark Side." With a gesture he forced Buffy back up against the now-closed door and stuck her there. Dawn, to her credit, merely smirked.

"That's assuming you can kill me." She ignited her lightstaff, then held out her left hand, palm up and gestured to the Sith Lord. "Just bring it, C'Bitch."

Vader snarled and launched himself at the smaller girl, his red blade slashing across her throat. Dawn blocked the blow with ease, then used the other blade's own momentum to help power her lower blades arc towards Vader's chest. Vader blocked, pressing his attack even further, ruthlessly battering Dawn and forcing her backwards. Yet he became frustrated at his inability to land a blow, along with the girl's ability to seemingly counter his every move.

Dawn, for her part, trusted in her Vaapad form to overcome Vader's Form 5, knowing that his brute strength would be no mach for her own athleticism. She hopped around, using her small size and light weight to her advantage to dodge and leap with astounding ease, using only a fraction of her energy while he tired himself out.

Vader yelled in anger at the way this girl mocked him by her continued existence. He thrust low, then turned it into an upward arc that sliced cleanly through the middle of her lightstaff, then followed through with a high swing that would have taken off her head had she not spun out of the way. He reversed direction, heading for her midsection-

And was blocked by one blue blade, even as a second shot out and nicked his cheek. He stared at the girl in open shock as she grinned back at him.

"What, you didn't think I wouldn't prepare for such an obvious move, did you?" she asked, showing the ends of the lightsabers that both held clearly defined locking mechanisms. She let out a derisive snort of laughter. "And I thought you were a Dark Lord…"

With renewed fury Vader lashed out, battering the girl's defenses. Dawn was on the defensive again, a little more desperate as she struggled to use the twin blades. While she and Sera had been working on her form three, it was nowhere near as good as her work with the staff. Dawn promised herself several days of straight training on the sabers, if she made it out alive.

Vader thrust, slashed and battered Dawn's defenses as a helpless Buffy looked on. He relished the fear and hatred pouring off of her and reveled in knowing that she would soon be his. With a triumphant cry he knocked one of the blades out of Dawn's hand and then brought his blade down hard overhead. Dawn struggled to stay on her feet as Vader poured more and more Force energy into his limbs, increasing the power of his downward push. His blade, blocked only by her own, was now so close to her short hair that it was beginning to singe.

"And so it ends, little girl," he sneered, "You had a valiant defense, I'll admit, but it was nothing against my power!"

"What are people," Dawn gasped, trying to hold her blade steady, "going to say about… your power…when they find out you got…punked like a bitch by a…Padawan?"

"You can't beat me, you stupid girl!" C'Baoth roared. "You don't have the ball-"

Quickly Dawn let one hand go from her lightsaber and reached out, calling the other half of the lightstaff back into her hand. She ignited it and swung up between the Sith Lord's legs, cutting his rant off rather abruptly. As the pain grew his strength lessened so that Dawn could stand tall, holding off his blade, still above her head, with ease.

Dawn looked Vader dead in the eye and shrugged. "Yeah, well who does nowadays?" she snarked, then in one motion pulled her second blade up as she used the first to push his away. With two dull thuds, both halves of Jorrus C'Baoth, also known as Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, fell to the wet catwalk.

Dawn didn't spare the remains a second look as she rushed over to her fallen sister, who had fallen to the ground the moment C'Baoth's concentration had been broken - roughly the same moment of his impromptu circumcision. She reconnected her lightstaff and slipped it into her back holster, then knelt at her side, shaking her softly.

"Buffy? Come on, Buffy. We got to go now…"

"Dawn? Dawnie?" the Slayer asked weakly, hazy eyes blinking up at her. "Is it you?"

"Yup, live and in living color!" Dawn chirped. "Now, time to get up."

"Vader?"

"He had to split," Dawn held her composure for a moment, before the laughter bubbled over. "Sorry!" she snorted. "Sorry, bad joke."

Buffy looked at her in confusion, then past her to see the remains of the Sith Lord. She stared stunned as Dawn used the Force to remove the degrading collar. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this…" she remarked. Dawn ignored her as she pulled her sister to her feet.

"We'll worry about that later. Right now, we need to get back to the Falcon. Angel and the others will meet us there…"

"Angel?" Buffy looked at her confused. "Where are the other Jedi?"

"Later Buffy," she evaded, dragging her back inside the besieged city. "For right now, let's go."

* * *

"I wish it didn't have to be this way, Sprite," Fett said heavily as he dusted himself off. Mentally he took stock of his condition - a few broken ribs, possibly a dislocated shoulder and equipment wise he was fragged with a busted helmet, lost blaster and several of his suit's gadgets damaged beyond repair. "I've always tried to teach you to keep your business separate from your personal life, but you never really took to that lesson. Any other circumstance I'd let you lie, but this is an important bounty for me and I can't risk you frakking it up. So now, I got to finish it." He lifted his forearm blaster and leveled it right at Joyce's face. Joyce, for her part just starred back with hate in her eyes. "Sorry, Sprite. End of the line."

"HEY!"

Fett started and spun around - just in time to get knocked to the ground by the butt of a blaster pistol. Shaking loose the stars he looked up to find himself looking into the eyes of a very upset Rebel pilot.

"Get the hell away from my wife." Wedge growled.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Fett said in amazement. "She actually found someone crazy enough to marry her?"

"You alright, honey?" Wedge asked, his eyes never leaving Fett's.

"Fine, sweetheart." Joyce groaned, dragging herself to her feet. "What the dar'manda are you doing here?"

"Heard through the grapevine about Han being captured, figured you be here to save him. Though you might need a hand."

"Who else came?"

"The rest of the Rogue's are hiding behind Bespin's moon," Wedge replied. "We'll be able to cover you when-"

Wedge was caught off guard when Fett lashed out with a kick that sent the pilot stumbling back, where he slipped on the wet deck and landed hard on his back. Joyce roared in anger and launched herself at the bounty hunter, grabbing his armor at the arm holes and swinging him around, sending him crashing head-first into his ship. Dazed, he tossed a grenade towards the half-Slayer and then winced as the device exploded, sending the girl flying to the deck as a portion collapsed into the gas giant below. His eyes widened as the frozen form of Han Solo, which had been hovering in the blast zone, started to tumble of the pad.

"NO!" he cried staggering forward towards his prize, but he was forced to duck and fall back as Wedge opened fire on him, landing several good shots into his armor. Fett swore and ran up the ramp and into _Slave 1_, closing the hatch and securing it behind him.

"NO!" Joyce cried, launching herself towards her falling brother. She was too slow, though, and the carbonite slab fell over the edge towards its destruction. Laying slightly over the edge Joyce reached out her hand towards the slab, directing the Force to raise the object back to safe ground. It stopped in mid-air, slowly rose, then began to wobble as Joyce's flagging strength and many injuries began to take its toll.

"No…" she ground out, pouring all her energy into the Force to save her brother. But the carbonite was too heavy, her skill too little and it began to slip once more…

And then it stopped and, mercifully, began to rise.

Joyce blinked as she recognized a familiar Force signature and her head snapped around to see Willow, standing in the doorway, her arm outstretched and a look of intense concentration on her face. With effort the witch brought the slab back up to the pad even as Fett took off, sending engine backwash across the landing pad. As _Slave 1_ finally departed, Willow lay the slab down upon the pad, exhaling the breath she had been holding.

"No more Solos are dying while I can help it," she said as she strode forward. "Your mother is fine. Dawn rescued her. We should leave now." She turned to face Wedge. "Ah, the husband. Good timing."

"How did you know I was her husband?" Wedge asked warily. Willow smirked.

"Please, there are only two people who don't know you two are married - one's right there," she pointed to Han, "and the other's about to come through that door."

At that moment Leia charged onto the landing pad, followed closely by Lando, Chewie, Obi-Wan and Angel's crew. Leia stopped, skidding slightly on the rainy surface and gasped at what she saw.

"Aunt Willow… Joyce… Wedge?" she gaped. "What are you doing here?"

Willow glanced up, letting the rain fall on her face. "Well, I came for the weather…"

"And I came for my wife," Wedge said with a hint of defiance, ignoring the elbow Joyce planted in his ribs. Leia looked at his in shock.

"WHAT?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, I hate to interrupt," Obi-Wan started, "but this city is crawling with Imperial troops and the Imperial fleet is undoubtedly on the way here. So let's gather Captain Solo and head over to the _Falcon_."

"We'll get Han," Leia said as she used the Force to pull the slab towards her.

"I'll meet you in the sky," Joyce said, heading towards the exit. "I'll get the Promet-"

Suddenly _Slave I_ zoomed overhead zoomed overhead, firing two missiles that streaked over the startled group-

And blew up the landing pad two meters away, along with the two craft parked on it - one X-Wing and the _Prometheus_. Wiggling its wings in a mock salute, _Slave I_ zoomed off into space.

"Well, that settles that," Obi-Wan said finally. "Everyone to the _Falcon_!"

* * *

Anakin fell.

Below him he could feel Luke - feel his pain, feel his fear, as he fell farther and father towards the lower part of the city. Anakin pulled his arms close to his side as and straightened his legs, turning himself into a speeding projectile, trying to reach his son. As he gained, he saw him being sucked into a refuse chute and he used the Force to change his trajectory, entering the tube slightly behind him. Using the Force to slow his decent, he saw Luke slow to a stop - then fall as the ejection chute below him. Anakin slid to a halt at the opening and looked down, sighing in relief. He reached out his hand.

"Luke! Grab my hand!"

Luke looked up in confusion. "Father?"

The door started to close and Anakin desperately used the Force to hold it open. "Grab it!"

Luke reached up with his hand and grabbed Anakin's hand and with a grunt of effort, Anakin reached down to his belt and activated his PPG, taking the father and son back to Earth.

* * *

Leia and her group finally found themselves just a short way from the _Falcon's _landing platform; unfortunately a whole squad of Storm Troopers stood between them and freedom. Buffy was taking her frustration out on the Troopers with a blaster she had liberated, while Dawn easily deflected their bolts back at them with her reconnected lightstaff. Dawn glanced over at the large group and smirked. "About time you all showed up. Hey, what you doing here?" she asked Willow as her and Joyce came into view.

"Actually, we came to save them. Looks like you beat us too it," Willow remarked glibly, activating her own lightsaber to help deflect the bolts.

"What are you doing here?" Obi-Wan asked the Padawan. "You aren't allowed to cross over!"

"Yeah, yeah. Punish me later… what the hell is that?" she asked as Leia and the elder Jedi led the carbonite slab towards the door, deflecting bolts as they went. Artoo rolled ahead of them and plugged into the wall socket to open the door.

"It's Han."

"No, we don't care about the hyperdrive on the _Falcon_!" Threepio cried from his carry sack on Chewie's back. "It's fixed! Just open the door you stupid lug!"

Artoo whistled in triumph as the door rose, revealing the _Falcon _behind it. They all took off, firing at the Troopers or deflecting their bolts back at them as they all rushed into the ship. Wedge and Joyce headed straight for the cockpit

Leia and Obi-Wan locked Han down in the cargo hold, resigned to keeping him frozen until they got away. Buffy got everybody else strapped into the crash couches before collapsing into one herself, drawing herself into a ball and finally letting the tears fall. Dawn sat next to her and wrapped her arms around her sister, letting the Jedi Master cry into her shoulder. Obi-Wan laid a hand on her shoulder and took the seat on the other side. Leia and Wes, with Lando in tow, headed into the crowded cockpit.

"Punch it!" Joyce shouted. Wedge engaged the repulsorlifts enough to lift and turn the ship enough to clear the city as he pushed the main engines to full throttle.

"Hey, Earther!" Joyce snarled at Fred, who was busy splicing wires in an aft console. She pointed to a red button, just ahead of the Hyperdrive lever. "What the hell is this?"

"Whatever you do, do not push the little red button until I tell you!" she shouted back, working frantically. "Why I wanted to get out of the lab, I don't know…"

"Don't push the little red button," Joyce repeated. "Great. Thanks, important safety tip.

"What about Luke?" Wedge asked.

"He's gone," Leia replied. "So has father."

"They went back," Fred replied. "I got all of the PPG's tied into a monitor on my belt. His went off a few minutes ago."

The _Falcon _flew on and suddenly the warning lights flared to life as a flight of TIE fighters came in.

"Angling the deflector dish," Joyce called out.

"Rogues, this is Rogue Two. Red ball, red ball!"

The _Falcon _shuddered as hit started impacting their shields, then suddenly smoothed out as Rogue Squadron flew out of nowhere and scattered the incoming TIE's. But they were not out of the woods yet - Vader's Super-Star Destroyer loomed in the distance.

"Hyperdrive coordinates are set-"

"Don't bother!" Fred yelled as she finished her splicing job. She took a reading on her instrument, then dropped it to the floor and slammed the cover shut. "Get us as far from the planet's gravity well as you can."

"And where do you want to go, exactly?" Joyce asked. "I don't know if you noticed, but the _Executor _is right there…"

"Just do it!"

"Listen to her," Willow said as she entered the cramped bridge. Joyce cursed silently in Mandoa as she juked and jived around the _Executor's _turbolaser blasts, managed to dodge some while still more glanced off the shields. Wedge looked at the shield status display in worry.

"We can't keep taking theses hits…"

"Wedge, tell the Rogues to bug out," Fred said. "Joyce, on my mark, push the little red button."

"Rogues, this is Rogue two. Bug out and I'll see you on the other side." One by one, the X-Wings broke off their attacks and jumped away. Wedge looked out the cockpit windows in dread at the _Executor's _hull filled the viewports. "We are getting awfully close."

"Now!"

Joyce slammed her hand down on the red button and for a moment time seemed to slow and stretch around them. In space, the _Millennium Falcon_ seemed to shimmer and then a light played over the hull…

And the _Falcon _was gone.

On the bridge of the _Executor_, the two Emperor's hands stared out at the now empty space impassively. A moment later, Mara turned to Nejaa.

"Well, that was something completely different."

* * *

In space around Saturn a light flashed and suddenly the _Millennium Falcon_ appeared. Inside the ship the passengers tried desperately not to loose their lunch.

"What the hell was that?" Wedge gasped as he struggled to steady the ship and bring it to a stop.

"Ship Portal Generator. Something I was working on for the _Prometheus_…"

"Don't bother," Joyce said dully. "She's gone."

"I'm sorry…"

"I'll take over flying," Wedge said. "Leia, can you take Joyce to the med couch and look her over? She looked pretty bad back at the city."

"Certainly." She held out a hand to Joyce. "Come, I'll fix you up."

Joyce snarled in aggravation, then pushed herself up and out of the seat, ignoring the pain in her side. "Fine. Let's just get this over with." Joyce stalked past Leia towards the Medical couch and Leia took a moment to look everyone over.

_Almost everyone here had suffered in Cloud City,_ she thought. _Lando lost his whole city, Han was frozen in carbonite - who knows if he will be okay when we thaw him out; Joyce nearly got killed, Buffy was tortured by that monster, even Willow had to confront what could have been. And who knows how bad Luke Is hurt… _She sighed and headed towards the Medi-couch. _I just hope we can pick up the pieces and pull ourselves together in time to save the galaxy-again._

TBC

Next chapter - Dawn faces her punishment and decisions are made that will affect the course of the Rebellion.


	9. Chapter 9: Return of the Jedi

**Episode 5 Chapter 9**

**Return of the Jedi**

* * *

The next few days on Earth were both hectic and solemn as the survivors of Cloud City rested and recuperated from their varied wounds. Worse off physically was Luke, who had to be given a prosthetic hand to replace the one Halcyon had sliced off in his dual and Han, who suffered mild hibernation sickness once he was thawed. Psychologically, though, all members of the expedition were worse off, with Buffy locking herself in her room for hours on end, meditating and trying in vain to find her center once more. She refused to see anyone, even Dawn and Obi-Wan found themselves shut out. And so, a week after the events on Cloud City, Buffy was once again meditating in her room when she felt a familiar presence settle across from her. 

"I don't want to be disturbed."

"I brought Corellian whiskey," Willow replied, hefting a nice-sized bottle of the ale.

Buffy opened her eyes and eyed the bottle warily, then sighed. "Fine, get some glasses."

Willow raised an eyebrow, then uncorked the bottle and took a long swig. "Why?" she asked as she handed the bottle to Buffy, who took a long pull.

"This is fitting, I think," Buffy said. "History repeating itself in some perverse way."

"Buffer history, I just wanted to get drunk." Willow took the bottle back and took a long drink. "Gyah, this stuff is terrible. Least it'll do the job."

Buffy scoffed. "What do you have to get drunk over?"

"I met my daughter," Willow replied quietly. Buffy took back the bottle and took a small sip, waiting for her friend to continue. "She's so much like me, it's scary. And not just looks - her attitude, it so reminds me of how I was when…"

"When you became Traya?" Buffy finished. Willow nodded as she took a drink. "I never fully appreciated how easy it must have been for you to fall, Will. All the pain anger you had at being trapped there, away from Tara, away from _home_… I was so close, Willow. So close to just letting go, giving in, anything to stop the pain…"

"Dawn had a vision, did she tell you?" Buffy shook her head. "Everyone dead. The Council burning, Imperial Troops expanding into another universe." She held her finger and thumb a millimeter apart. "That close, Buffy. It came that close. And the scary thing? If we had been able to get home, before I fully revealed myself to you in that hanger on Geonosis, the exact same thing would have probably happened, by my hand. And now I'm scared that my daughter will make the same mistake."

"She won't, you know," Buffy said at length, taking another pull on the bottle.

"Won't what?"

"Won't fall."

Willow looked at her oddly. "What makes you think that?" she asked.

Buffy took another swig, handing the bottle to Willow. "Because you won't let her," she replied, then hiccupped.

Both girls giggled.

* * *

"Damnit, Joyce! I want out of here!" 

Han Solo sulked in his bed as Joyce fussed over him. He swore she could be more of a mother hen than Buffy sometimes. "I'm not an invalid!"

Joyce cocked an eyebrow at her brother while Chewi chuckled in the corrner of the room. "You were frozen in carbonite, Han. You have hibernation sickness."

"I got thawed out a week ago, I'm fine!" he argued, then turned to his friend. "And you be quiet, furball."

"You're convalescing on this back asswards planet. You're not fine until I say so."

"Is my niece giving you a hard time, Captain Solo?"

Han looked up and his face brightened as he saw Leia enter slightly behind Padmé. Padmé smiled as she took up station at the end of the bed, while Leia sat on his right and clasped his hand in hers. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm feeling fine, despite what some people think." Joyce threw up her hands as she let out an exasperated sigh. "And hey, didn't you get stuck in the side? Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I healed days ago," Joyce retorted. "Slayer healing. Wonderful thing." She looked to Padmé "Have you seen my mother?"

"That's why I'm here, actually." The former queen sighed. "She's taken to locking herself in her room and no one has managed to get through to her. I was hoping to convince Han to go try and talk to her…"

"Hoping my father's ghost will pull her out of her funk?" he slowly climbed out of the bed, pointedly ignoring the growls emanating from Joyce. "Yeah, sure. I'll give it a try."

Han accepted the helping arm from Leia and ignored Joyce's presence as they ambled down the hall towards Buffy's quarters. "So, what exactly has been happening while I've been locked up?"

"Well, the Council will meet today and decide what will be done about Dawn," Padmé started.

"What do you mean 'done about Dawn'?" Han interrupted. "Didn't she basically save everybody? Why would she be punished?"

"She was ordered a few years ago never to cross over without approval from the Council or permission from a Master, neither of which she had," Leia explained. "Even with the mitigating circumstances, it looks like they'll excommunicate her from the Order."

Han scoffed. "And you want to be one of those people?" he asked Leia. She just shrugged and sighed.

"It's complicated."

"It's the family business," Joyce added.

"Besides that, Luke has been spending some quality time with Anakin. Right now they're dueling, trying to get Luke used to his new hand."

"What is it with your family and replacement parts?" Han asked Leia, who merely shrugged again.

"I still have everything," she said. Han smirked.

"Good to know."

"Pig."

"Fred has continued working on the _Falcon_, putting a few more goodies in it," Joyce added. "She even managed to put an upgraded version of the cloaking device in it."

"Why didn't she put it in the _Prometheus_?" Han asked. Joyce winced and felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"_Prometheus_ was destroyed on Cloud City," she replied, the ache of losing the last link to her father still strong.

"Sorry," Han said softly, turning and wrapping her sister in a warm hug. "I know how much she meant to you."

"It's stupid…"

"No, it's not," Han insisted. "I'd feel the same way if the _Falcon_ was lost."

The two separated and then continued walking down the hall. "Other than that, everybody else is just resting and taking stock," Padmé continued. "Lando's planning on how best to help the Alliance to make up for what he was forced to do to you, Joyce's husband is trying to figure out how to get a new ship…"

Padmé said that last bit with a smile, ignoring Joyce's fervent shaking of her head, then nearly plowing into Han's back as she stopped dead.

"Her WHAT?"

"Her husband," Padmé said, again patiently. "He lost his X-Wing at Cloud City…"

Han spun and glared at Joyce. "Not LUKE?!" he exclaimed. Joyce's face scrunched up in disgust.

"Please! He's practically a brother!" She lifted her chin defiantly and stalked past her brother. "It's Wedge."

"ANTILLIES?!" Han practically screamed. "How long?"

"A little over a year," she replied defiantly as Han sputtered.

"At least he's Corellian," Leia said soothingly. "It could have been another Mandalorian." Han whirled on her.

"I expect you knew all about this?"

"I only found out last week," Leia argued. "And don't get tetchy with me."

Chewie let out several short barks and growls and Han stared at his best friend.

"_You _knew? And didn't tell me?" Chewie chortled and Han let out a small harrumph. "Some friend."

Joyce was about to reply, but the sound of breaking glass startled the small group. "That came from Buffy's room…" Padmé noted and the five ran the rest of the way. Han got there first and threw open the door-

Only two find Buffy and Willow, flat on their butts, laughing like crazy. The remains of Buffy's coffee table lay scattered on the floor; Buffy's lightsaber hilt lay in the center of the mess of broken glass. Han looked at the two women, then at the bottle in their hands.

"Buffy!" Han exclaimed.

"Willow!" Padmé added, staring at her sister in dismay. The two looked at each other and then giggled.

"No, I'm Buffy," Willow slurred, pointing to herself, then at Buffy, "That's Willow."

"That's not rot…RIGHT! That's not right!" Buffy exclaimed, looking pleased at getting the words right. "I can't be Willow! I'm not a redhead!"

"You're not a blonde, either," Willow snickered and Buffy mock-glared at her.

"Watch it…"

"You're drunk?" Joyce stated, amused and disgusted at same time. She looked over at her brother. "Spirit of our father, indeed."

"Your father!" Buffy exclaimed with a sigh. "Your father was such a great man…and such a great lay…" she sighed. Han looked stricken and even Joyce, the hardened Mandalorian, looked queasy.

"Oh, god!" Han exclaimed. "I don't need to know that! I _never _needed to know that!"

"Where do ya think Joyce came from?" Willow snickered and this time Joyce bolted down the hall towards the bathroom. Buffy looked at Willow reproachfully.

"That wasn't nice."

"Ah, she earned that," Willow said, pulling herself to her feet. She swayed for a moment and Han rushed in to steady her. After a moment, Willow looked up at him and he was shocked to see tears in her eyes.

"I really am sorry for what I did –HIC- did to you," she admitted. "If I could go back and change one thing, it would be that."

Han awkwardly patted the distraught, drunken former Sith on the back. "That's… that's okay, Willow. Really."

"I can't believe you got her drunk, Willow!" Padmé hissed. Willow hiccupped and giggled.

"Least could I do." Willow smiled, then frowned. "Wait, I didn't right that say…"

"No more tear!" Buffy exclaimed, jumping to her feet - then nearly falling on face before Chewie rushed forwards and steadied her. Buffy snuggled into his fur and giggled. "Furby!"

Willow snorted. "Furby!" she agreed.

"This is the Sith Lord that tied to conquer to galaxy?" a returning Joyce stated. "Hey! Red! What the heck are you doing to my mother?"

"We were celebrating!" Willow replied proudly.

"Yup, see, we decided we liked Corelelelelian ale," she paused and giggled at her mispronunciation, "but we also decided it's decidedly evil."

"So then we both decided we were quitting all this hero business and become Dark Lords of the Scotch!"

Joyce groaned as Leia and Han both coughed back laughter. Buffy suddenly looked sad as she turned over the now empty bottle. "Aw, we killed it!"

Willow giggled. "Silly! That's what Dark Lords –HIC!- do!" she exclaimed, before promptly passing out. Buffy stood triumphantly.

"HA! I knew she wash as lightweighhhhh…." She was unconscious before she even hit the flood. Padmé looked at the two sadly.

"Anakin will never let her live this down," she said.

* * *

Dawn looked herself over in the mirror with a somber expression and, for the nineteenth time, smoothed her robes. 

"You look fine," Zett said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. He nuzzled her neck lightly, then looked in her eyes through the mirror. "And everything is going to _be_ fine. I promise you that."

"Only people who could guarantee that are the Masters, which you ain't," Dawn said lightly, then sighed. "I'm not as upset as I thought I'd be. Disappointed, sure, but not upset. Buffy's alive and relatively sane; the Council's safe, nobody else will die today. If the cost of preventing my vision was being kicked out of my second Council, then so be it."

Zett smiled. "A couple of months ago and you would have been smoldering about this."

"Vi wouldn't want me to dwell." Dawn turned around and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "Shall we go?"

The two walked in companionable silence towards the Council's chambers. Dawn looked out at the waning sun and frowned. "I wonder why they pushed the meeting back?"

Zett bit back a grin. "I heard Willow paid Master Skywalker a visit to, er…cheer her up."

Dawn looked at her boyfriend wryly. "She got her drunk, didn't she?"

"Passed out at Padmé's feet."

Dawn let out a loud laugh that startled several Padawans around her. "Oh, I'm never going to let her live that down!"

They continued walking, with several of the younger Slayers stopping to wish her luck. As she approached the Council doors, she found her old squad waiting out front.

"They kick you out and we'll take them down," Rona joked, pulling Dawn into a tight hug. "And if that doesn't work, we could always use another hand."

Dawn wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thanks, everyone. It means a lot - truly."

"Give 'em hell, Dawn!" Belle said. Dawn gave the girl a confident smile, then turned and walked into the Council chambers. The first thing she noticed was that it was much darker than it normally was - and soon the reason became obvious.

"Master Skywalker, may I get you a cup of coffee before I get kicked out?" Dawn teased. Buffy groaned and sank lower into her chair.

"Somebody kill her," Buffy mumbled, causing a ripple of laughter through the Council.

"Only if you can point out which one is real," Anakin added, drawing even more snickers. "Dark Lord of the Scotch, indeed," he added under his breath.

"If we're quite done?" Master Shryne asked. At the collected nods (very slight, in Buffy's case), Roan began. "We are here today to decide the fate of Dawn Summers, Padawan, in regards to her status in the Jedi Order. Before we begin, there are two things. One, for obvious reasons, both Masters' Skywalker will abstain from voting. Master Kenobi, despite his neophyte relationship with Buffy, will be allowed to vote, as I trust in his impartiality. Second, as we are all aware, one of our seats remains empty. And I believe that now is the time to fill it." Roan looked directly at Zett and then gestured towards the empty chair. "Take your seat, Master Jukassa."

Zett bowed, gave a sheepish smile to the stunned Dawn, then moved and took his seat in the Council. "For obvious reason, Master Jukassa won't be voting as well."

"Hang on!"

"Was there something you wished to say, Padawan?" Master Secura asked, vainly trying to hide her smile and failing miserably.

"Zett's a Master?" she asked. Aayla nodded. "Zett's a Master..." she repeated to herself, thinking rapidly. In an instant, her head shot up and she looked directly at Roan. "For how long, sir?"

"A little over a week, now," he replied casually. "We asked him to keep it quiet…"

"Because you knew I'd ask him for a PPG!" Dawn exclaimed loudly, causing Buffy to wince. "You knew I'd ask, even after you all turned me…" Dawn's shoulders sagged. "It was a test. My trials."

"Dawn…" Anakin started, but was cut off by her glare.

"I told you my vision. I showed you what would happen. Yet you decided to make this – _THIS _- my trials?"

"I'll explain," Buffy said quickly, cutting off Roan. Buffy rose unsteadily to her feet and was steadied by Obi-Wan, who got a glare for his efforts. "I thought long and hard about your trials, Dawn," Buffy started. "I meditated for days. In the end, the Force guided me to this event. Unfortunately, the Force doesn't always disclose everything.

"I had no idea how bad it would get," she continued. "I had no idea that C'baoth…when I saw you standing on that walkway, god…"

Anakin laid a comforting hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Nobody was expecting what happened to happen," he said. "Master Kenobi and I were in on this from the start, despite where we were; both of us agreed to it as well. If we had known then what we know now, then perhaps we would have sent more across the barrier than a Padawan and a demon-hunting group. Would we still have triumphed? I don't know. But this does bring to mind a question I have for you Padawan - when you went across, what did you think would happen?"

"You mean, did I expect to win?" Dawn asked. Anakin nodded. "Yes, I did."

"Explain, please," Master Kilwallen asked.

"When I decided to go, I made a conscience choice to succeed ," Dawn explained. "In my mind, if I failed, then all that I saw would come to pass. And that was unacceptable to me. So I decided that I was going to succeed."

"Or die trying?" Obi-Wan asked; Zett visibly tensed.

"No," Dawn replied calmly. "That wasn't an option either."

"Do, or do not. There is no try," Anakin quoted. "You certainly took that to heart."

"Believe it or not, I took all of my training to heart," Dawn replied. "Unlike you people."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Roan asked with an amused smile.

"Secretly promoting Zett, knowing that I'd ignore what the Council said and beg him for a PPG anyway. You set me up!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "This is revenge, for me sticking it to you last time…"

"Nonsense," Master Sibwarra said, not even trying to hide her smile. "A Jedi never seeks revenge…"

"Perhaps we should get back to the matters at hand, Masters," Obi-Wan said, rising from his chair. "Today this Council meets to decide if Padawan Dawn Summers is ready to advance to the level of Jedi Knight. All those who agree, say 'Aye'."

One after another, all the voting Masters said 'Aye' to an astonished Dawn. As the last vote was cast, the Masters all lit their lightsabers. "Padawan, kneel," Obi-Wan instructed. Dawn got down to one knee, but looked warily as Buffy approached.

"Uhh… not that I'm not honored that you'd want to be the one, Master," she said nervously, "but I don't trust you to be anywhere near my head with that saber right now."

Buffy hesitated and then sighed. "Yeah. Wouldn't do well to kill my first Padawan right as she graduates."

"I shall do it," Master Kilwallen said. Buffy fell back as the elder Master approached. She paused and gave Dawn an appraising look.

"I never quite agreed with Buffy taking you on, nor have I always been in favor of you remaining in this Order." She paused, then smiled softly. "Never before have I been so happy to be wrong about my opinions." Ydra lowered her lightsaber and with a slight flick severed the Padawan braid that hung over Dawn's right ear. "By the will of this Council, I now proclaim you a Knight of the Jedi Order. Rise, Jedi Knight Summers."

Dawn rose, then sent a glare towards Zett that clearly said _Later._ She bowed in respect, then smiled.

"Well, if there isn't anything else…"

"There isn't," Buffy assured her.

"Good. 'Cause I've got something to do. Masters." She bowed once more, then turned and walked briskly out of the Council chambers. The Masters could hear the Slayer congratulating their old Watcher and Anakin looked over at Zett with pity in his eyes.

"I don't envy you tonight."

"This is all your fault," was all he said before taking his leave, much to the amusement of the other Masters.

* * *

Several hours later, Dawn approached Joyce down at the Memorial Wall, where she was paying respects to her father. 

"Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum Jacen Solo."

"Am I interrupting?" Dawn asked, coming to a stop behind the other girl.

"Me'copaani? " Joyce asked as she rose, but stopped and stared in amusement at Dawn. "What did you do to your hair?"

Dawn smiled and brushed her now-long hair behind her neck. "Got a promotion."

"Kandosii!" Joyce replied. "So that's the first thing you do? Get your hair done?"

"Do you know how long Tara's been holding onto that hair-restoration spell for me?" Dawn asked. "I was just waiting for that promotion to get rid of that god-awful haircut."

"So what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be celebrating with your boyfriend?"

Dawn scowled. "He and I will be having words later. Right now, though, I'm here about you." She glanced worriedly on her niece. "I heard about what happened on Cloud City."

"I didn't use my powers…"

"Not your Jedi powers, no," Dawn replied. "But your Slayer powers, yes. You tapped into that darkness that is the Slayer and I know that must have scared you."

"It still wasn't enough," Joyce snarled. "Fett still got away."

"That's because you lacked the proper training."

Joyce just shook her head. "I already told the old man. I don't want any more of hat new-age Jedi crap. It just doesn't suit me."

"No, I agree," Dawn said, crossing her arms behind her back. "You're too much like your mother, when she was younger. No, you don't need a Master." Dawn smiled. "What you need is a Watcher."

Joyce looked at her unbelieving, then turned and looked back at the wall to where Dawn's gaze was traveling.

**Violet 'Vi' Dames**

"Uh, Dawn…" she started. "Two things - one, you quit that Council and two, your last Slayer… well, was killed. After that, I was under the impression you didn't want that anymore."

"For a while, I didn't," Dawn admitted, still staring at her friend's name. "Vi was more than my Slayer; she was my best friend here. After she was killed, I was so angry for so long…" she sighed. "The point is, I know how you're feeling, because I've felt the same thing. I know what it's like to want _skira_, to let it consume you. But I also know how to help, if you'll let me." At Joyce's incredulous look, Dawn pressed on. "Look, I know we haven't always gotten on. Part of it is how similar we look - I see myself every time I look at you and it reminds me exactly how I came about. And I guess we've both been striving to gain Buffy's love, in our own ways. But it's time we put that all behind us. If you fall, Joyce, it would destroy Buffy just as much as it would if I fell, or were killed. I can't let that happen. I _won't _let that happen. So please, let me help you."

"But what about your Watcher's Council?" Joyce asked. "Won't they have something to say about this?"

"Benefits of being a newly minted Jedi Knight with a Sith Lord under her belt. They'll allow me to take an apprentice." Dawn grinned. "I always love finding ways around the rules. Cheat to win, you know?"

Joyce chuckled. "Not a very good policy for a Jedi."

"But a pretty good policy for a Slayer." Dawn reached out her hand. "So what do you say?"

Joyce considered her Aunt for a moment, then stared back at the wall. The two names - Violet 'Vi' Dames and Jacen Solo - stood out to her. Finally, she looked back to Dawn and grasped her hand.

"Vor entye," she replied, shaking her hand.

* * *

"I trust you've learned your lesson?" Anakin said softly as he entered his quarters. Willow lay splayed out on the couch, with Padmé tending to her. Willow nodded weakly. "Good. No more getting my sister drunk. Nor yourself - it's unbefitting to a Padawan." 

"Yes, sir."

"And no more knocking me out to go on adventures!" Anakin added, a smile in his voice.

"And here I thought I was following your lofty example."

Anakin smirked, then turned to his wife. "Don't keep her up too late. I got a big day planned tomorrow."

"Joy," Willow replied dryly.

Padmé smiled at her husband as he entered their bedroom and closed the door, then turned back t her sister. "So, how are you really holding up?"

"Well, I finally got to meet my daughter," Willow sighed. "I hope I was able to talk some sense into her. I want her to break free…"

"Well, once we defeat the Empire, it should be very easy for her to break…" she trailed off as she saw the look on Willow's face. "What?"

"We've talked about this, Padmé. It's not as simple as that."

"I refuse to believe that the Republic that stood for ten thousand years cannot rise again…" Padmé started, but Willow held up a pained hand.

"The Republic is dead, Padmé," she argued. "It was dying, even before Palpatine took over. It would have died if he hadn't taken over. The Empire appeals to a lot of worlds and will still appeal to worlds after Palpatine is dead. What you have to do is help others prepare for that eventuality. Contact the old crowd, Padmé. Make your presence felt. Prepare them, not for a total victory, but for an uneasy, but working, peace."

"And what will you be doing, Willow?" Padmé asked suspiciously. Willow sighed.

"Making use of my contacts," she replied. "And hopefully preparing a galaxy where my daughter can live in peace.

* * *

"May I join you?" 

Obi-Wan stepped out onto the balcony where Buffy stood, looking over the lake as night fell. Down below he spied Dawn and Joyce clasping hands, before they both turned and headed inside. "Wonder what that was all about?"

"I think Dawn found her first apprentice," Buffy said, a smile in her voice. "Sorry."

"Well I'm not," Obi-Wan replied, rubbing his jaw. "That girl packs quite a punch."

"I'm just glad they've been able to put their differences behind them."

"And how are you holding up?"

Buffy sighed. "Better, now. Willow really helped - don't!" she said sternly at his amused look. "It may not have been the best way, but she pulled me out of my funk. Now I just have to keep myself out."

"You don't have to do it all by yourself," Obi-Wan pointed out. "I'd like to help, too."

Buffy turned towards Obi-Wan and leaned against the balcony. "You know, there was a time… before the war, before Jacen… that I thought that maybe you and I would end up together, Council be damned. But then Corellia happened… I loved Jacen," she said, trying to make Obi-Wan understand, "and in a lot of ways, I still do. But I'm starting to think that maybe I'm ready to move on…"

Obi-Wan moved to Buffy and put his hands on her shoulders. "Moving on doesn't mean forgetting. I shall never forget Siri; but I won't deny my feelings for you any longer. She wouldn't want me to. Just as Jacen would want you to be happy." Obi-Wan smiled. "I hope I can be the one to make you happy again."

Buffy moved in and wrapped her arms around Obi-Wan and rested her head on his shoulder. "Can we take it slow?"

Obi-Wan chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Han sighed as he looked over the schematics to the Falcon that Fred had given him. She had made a lot of changes to his ship - all of them good, many of them things he wish he'd had when he was smuggling. His father's cloaking device was now fully integrated, as well as the Ship Portal Generator. She had also added some new weapons, ablative armoring on the hull and a bunch of other things he couldn't begin to understand. 

"Everything okay, Han?"

Han looked up to see Leia leaning against the doorway, a cocky look on her face that closely matched the one he usually wore. "Why are you so happy, Princess?"

"Well, I got good news and bad news," she said, pushing off the doorframe and walking into the room. "The good news is that you'll be released tomorrow. The bad news is that you won't be leaving Earth for a while, at least until we get things settled with Jabba the Hutt."

"How are we going to do that?"

Leia smirked. "Well, Luke actually came up with an idea," she stated. "It needs a bit of work, but give us a few weeks and we'll nail it."

"How is Joyce doing?" he asked seriously. Leia sighed and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Better, I think. She dropped Obi-Wan as a Master and Dawn's taken her on now…"

"Dawn? Buffy's sister Dawn? Wasn't she just promoted today?"

"I talked to her briefly; she said she was going to be more of a Watcher than a Jedi Master."

"Whatever keeps her honest," Han replied. "Speaking of which…"

"You will not hurt Wedge. At all. For any reason," she said, her tone brokering no argument. "Understand?"

Han smirked, then pulled her down to him. "Whatever you say, your Worshipfulness," he said, before kissing her senseless.

* * *

"My father went through the same thing." 

Luke sat down across from Wedge in the crowded commissary. It was after ten, many of the teams were preparing to go out on patrols across the country and were catching a last meal. More than a few were staring at the two pilots with lust-filled eyes.

"Don't suppose telling them I'm married would do anything?" he asked. Luke shook his head and Wedge sighed. "What did Anakin do?"

"Got Buffy to put a stop to it," Luke smirked. "In your case, don't hold your breath. You married her only daughter, _in_ _secret._ She won't be very forgiving of that."

"I thought everyone knew?" he groused. Luke laughed outright.

"Everyone _did_ know. But that won't change a thing."

"So what's next, Boss?" Wedge asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Well, first thing first is we settle things with Jabba," Luke said. "Then we prepare for the final push. We've gotten some intel from Karrde- Palpatine is building a new Death Star. My mother and Willow are cooking something up, I know. But we'll have to start planning on how to take it out before he can make the station fully operational."

"Do you think we can actually win this thing?" Wedge asked at length. "Do you think we'll know peace in our lifetime?"

"I certainly hope so," Luke replied, lifting his cup in a salute. "To peace."

"To peace," Wedge replied.

* * *

Mara sat in her darkened quarters on the _Executor_, meditating quietly on what her mother had said to her. _She was nothing like I expected, _Mara thought to herself. _If I only knew her, __**truly**__ knew her…_

Her door chimed and Mara pulled herself out of her meditation. "Enter!" she called, then stood at attention as Lord Halcyon entered the room, sealing the door behind him. "Lord Halcyon," she said, bowing. "How may I serve our Emperor?"

"I could feel your distress on the bridge, Hand," Halcyon said simply, walking past her to stare out the viewport behind her. "Rest assured, our Master can feel it as well."

"My apologies, Lord Halcyon. My mind has been…cluttered, since Cloud City."

"Since your mother, you mean." Halcyon turned to face her. "What did she say that upset you so?"

"I met my mother, that was upsetting enough," Mara snapped, then sighed. "I'm sorry, Master. It's just… she said that I should ask who I should be serving - the Emperor or the Empire. And for the life of me, I just can't figure out the answer."

"The Emperor is the Empire," Halcyon said simply.

"And when he dies?" Mara shot back. "Despite everything he's done, he's still not immortal. When he dies, I'll bet that the Empire will have very little use for people like us."

"There will always be a need for people like us," Halcyon replied.

"And if I don't want to be that kind of person?" Mara retorted. "It's been said that a person is defined by the choices they make. But I've never had the opportunity to make those choices. Ever since birth, I've been raised on Imperial City, taught by the finest teachers, guided by the most powerful man in the galaxy, all towards one goal - to make me the perfect assassin, the perfect warrior - neither Jedi nor Sith, who would follow the command of the Emperor without question or hesitation. And it's worked - his hold over me is so great, I can hear him across the galaxy. He can compel me to kill anyone, anywhere, any time. But a person can only go through so much before it starts to get to them."

Halcyon moved in close. "If you find yourself unable to do your job, then you can be replaced…"

"And what of you, Nejaa?" Mara asked. "You chose to become what you are today. But your family is still out there - we both know it! What's stopping you from going to them…"

"Your MOTHER made this choice for me!" Halcyon snarled, his hand shooting up and grasping Mara by the throat. "She made the choice when she and Anakin mutilated me and left me for dead!" In anger, he tossed her away and Mara hit the far bulkhead hard. She staggered forward slightly, ready to fight if necessary, but Halcyon's shoulders sagged and he fell into a nearby chair. "As for my family - how could I face them like this? I forsake my Order for revenge - revenge that turned out to be merely superficial. I thought I was avenging their deaths; instead, I only wanted to avenge my own disfigurement. Everything I was, everything I fought for, died that day in the temple; all that's left is this bitter husk of a man. You say that our choices define who we are; this is who I am now."

"But what if it wasn't who you had to be?" Mara asked quietly. "What if you could be more?"

"There is no more," Halcyon replied sadly, rising to his feet and moving to the door. As he passed through the now open door, he stopped and turned to look at Mara. "This is all I have left. Though I pray that you can find something more for yourself." With that, he turned and walked out of the room, letting the door close on Mara and leaving her in the darkness once more.

* * *

And so ends Star Wars - Episode V: Trials of the Empire. It's taken me longer than I expected, but I finally did it. Coming soon will be Star Wars - Episode VI- Jedi Rising. 

Vor entye vor-ENT-yay Thank you (lit. "I accept a debt")

skira SKEE-rah settling scores, revenge. feud (different to vengeance - more personal)


End file.
